scion

[ sahy-uhn ]
See synonyms for: scionscions on Thesaurus.com

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.

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

Origin of scion

1
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”

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British Dictionary definitions for scion

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

Origin of scion

1
C14: from Old French cion, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German chīnan to sprout

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for scion

scion

[ ən ]


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

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.