scion Hear it!

scion Definition

scion (sī′ən)

noun

  1. a shoot or bud of a plant, esp. one for planting or grafting
  2. a descendant; offspring

Etymology: ME sioun, ciun < OFr cion, earlier chion < Gmc *kijan-, to sprout < IE base *ĝei-, ĝī- > OHG chīnan, to sprout, OE kith, sprig

scion Synonyms

scion

n.

descendant, heir, progeny; see child, offspring.

scion Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • family: A scion of a family made prosperous by the British Empire.
  • dynasty: His probable purpose, tho unexpressed, was to contrast them with the later degenerate scions of the Hasmonaean dynasty.
  • nobility: Paulo Neroni had had not the faintest title to call himself a scion of even Italian nobility.
  • tree: In the 1820's scions of the tree were sent to Massachusetts in the USA, Canada and Europe, and later to Australia.
  • establishment: It was ironic that by the end of his life he was regarded as a scion of the English establishment.

Converse of object

  • call: In February Willie saved pencil thick shoots, called scions, from several different varieties of his own apples.
  • degenerate: On his father's side, his ancestors had all been big men, and he was no degenerate scion.

Adjective modifier

  • last: The tragic Mary Queen of Scots was the last scion of their line.
  • young: They would surely make it their business to see that the young scion of Longleat got well launched in life.