scion

[sahy-uhn]

noun

1. a descendant or heir, especially of a wealthy or powerful family.

   She's a familiar face in this Wyoming town, the third-generation scion of a cattle-ranching family.

   The two men were scions of the most powerful dynasties in the world.

   Synonyms: progeny, offshoot, issue, child

2. Sometimes cion a shoot or twig, especially one cut for grafting or planting; a cutting.

scion

/ ˈsaɪən /

noun

1. a descendant, heir, or young member of a family

2. a shoot or twig of a plant used to form a graft

scion

1. A detached shoot or twig containing buds from a woody plant, used in grafting.

Word History and Origins

Origin of scion¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English: “shoot, twig,” from Old French cion, from Frankish kī- (unrecorded) + Old French -on, noun suffix; compare Old English cīnan, Old Saxon kīnan, Old High German chīnan “to sprout,” Old English cīth, Old Saxon kīth “sprout”

Word History and Origins

Origin of scion¹

C14: from Old French cion, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German chīnan to sprout

Example Sentences

Jack Burden, the scion of an old-money family from the Louisiana coast, drops out of graduate school and becomes a newspaper reporter.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mamdani pulled off a stunning upset in the Democratic party primary, defeating political scion Cuomo who had been the favorite for weeks, becoming the party's official nominee.

Read more on Barron's

The scion has been unafraid to challenge those in Hollywood who’ve called for a boycott of Israel.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But let’s not overlook “The Candidate,” a movie that has Redford as underqualified political scion Bill McKay, pressed to run for governor of California.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In the coming weeks, the family’s controlling News Corp. and Fox shares will pass from Rupert to Lachlan, sealing the scion’s status as one of the world’s most influential moguls.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• heir