Word of the Day

: October 8, 2021

scion

noun SYE-un

What It Means

A scion is an heir or descendant of a wealthy or influential family.

// As scions of the celebrity family, the siblings have options when choosing their career paths.

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scion in Context

"Walker was the beloved, indulged scion of a wealthy East Coast family, the son of the first curator of the National Gallery and a descendant of Thomas More, the author of the 15th-century satire 'Utopia.'" — Parul Sehgal, The New York Times, 1 Aug. 2021

Did You Know?

Scion comes from Anglo-French cioun, meaning "offspring" or "new growth of a plant." When it first sprouted in English, it referred to a plant's shoot; the word was then applied to portions of a plant that have been grafted. The figurative meaning, "descendant," blossomed later, with particular reference to those who were descendants of notable families.