scepter
scepter Lexical Profile
scepter Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American An ornamented staff carried by rulers on ceremonial occasions as a symbol of sovereignty.
"The newly crowned queen grasped the golden scepter as the choir sang the anthem."
American Royal or imperial authority or power.
"The rebellion threatened to pry the scepter from the aging monarch's hands."
• verb
American To invest with a scepter, or with royal authority.
"The archbishop sceptered the new king, officially completing the ancient rite of coronation."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Scepter" is the American English spelling, whereas "sceptre" is standard in British English and other Commonwealth nations.
• Rhymes for scepter
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old French 'sceptre', originating from Latin 'sceptrum', which derives from the Greek 'skēptron' meaning 'staff' or 'stick', from the base 'skēptein' (to prop or lean on).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.