Scion / noun / sci·​on

We use the word scion as a noun in English. Today's word is scion. The first use of the word scion refers to a twig, plant, or shoot used in gardening and agriculture. In the second usage, a scion is a young person who is a member or a descendant of a wealthy family. Continue reading to see if you can add this word to your vocabulary. While many people compare the definition of the scion to that of the word "heir," these two have slightly different meanings.

In a Sentence

His fiance married him because she knew he was a scion of the royal family, and she was expecting to be wealthy as his wife.

There was a great debate among the wealthy family members about whether the young scion would receive an inheritance.

The farmer directed the farmhand to use the clippings from the scion to fertilize the new seedlings in the garden.

Etymology

We derived the word scion from a combination of Old French and Middle English words representing a twig or shoot used in agriculture in the 13th century. Later in the 14th century, we changed the definition of the word scion to a young member of a wealthy family that is like an heir. A scion may or may not receive an inheritance as a member of a wealthy or prominent family.

Synonym

Twig, Descendant

Antonym

Predecessor, Ancestor