scepter

[ sep-ter ]
See synonyms for scepter on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a rod or wand borne in the hand as an emblem of regal or imperial power.

  2. royal or imperial power or authority; sovereignty.

verb (used with object)
  1. to give a scepter to; invest with authority.

Origin of scepter

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (s)ceptre, from Old French, from Latin scēptrum, from Greek skêptron “staff”; akin to shaft
  • Also especially British, scep·tre .

Other words from scepter

  • scep·ter·less, adjective
  • scep·tral [sep-truhl], /ˈsɛp trəl/, adjective
  • un·scep·tered, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use scepter in a sentence

  • The horse was held in by four angelic forms following and holding in their hands scepters of royalty.

    A Tour of the Missions | Augustus Hopkins Strong
  • From the many scepters that were submitted the King chose the one for final use.

    The Dramatization of Bible Stories | Elizabeth Erwin Miller Lobingier
  • Scepters were sometimes short, with much ornamentation; others were long, probably five feet in length.

    The Dramatization of Bible Stories | Elizabeth Erwin Miller Lobingier
  • The priests, the real rulers of Asia; the wise and patient gurus, who held the most compelling of all scepters, superstition!

    The Adventures of Kathlyn | Harold MacGrath
  • They have uncrowned the phantoms, wrested the scepters from the ghosts and given this world to the children of men.