wand

noun

ˈwänd 

1

: a slender staff carried in a procession : verge

2

: a slender rod used by conjurers and magicians

3

: a slat six feet by two inches used as a target in archery

also : a narrow strip of paper pasted vertically on a target face

4

: any of various pipelike devices

especially : the rigid tube between the hose and the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner

5

: a handheld device used to enter information (as from a bar code) into a computer

Examples of wand in a Sentence

The cashier used a wand to scan the bar code.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nearly every expectant mother who has seen the telltale line on a pregnancy test or who has searched the sonogram while the tech wands her belly knows the flash of worry: What if this little life doesn’t make it? —Ericka Andersen, National Review, 24 Jan. 2025

By Deanna Pai 11 Best Curling Irons Allure Editors Use Daily These wands create voluminous curls in seconds. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025

Move the wand over the face and neck using upward-and-outward strokes, spending a total of three minutes in each area. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2025

Dried-out mascara will clump and flake, but more importantly bacteria can get into the tube via the mascara wand, eventually leading to potential eye infections. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, slender stick, from Old Norse vǫndr; probably akin to Old English windan to wind, twist — more at wind entry 3

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing wand

• magic wand

Kids Definition

wand

noun

ˈwänd 

1

: a slender rod used in performing magic

2

: a light rod or tube