sceptre en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈsɛptə/ (UK)
- /ˈsɛptɚ/ (US)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Middle English septre, sceptre, from Old French sceptre, from Latin scēptrum, from Ancient Greek σκῆπτρον (skêptron, “staff, stick, baton”), from σκήπτω (skḗptō, “to prop, to support, to lean upon a staff”).
Meanings
-
An ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch as a symbol of power.
To the fleet he came / Bearing rich ranſom glorious to redeem / His daughter, and his hands charged with the wreath / And golden ſceptre of the God shaft-arm’d.
1791, Homer, “[The Iliad.] Book I.”, in W[illiam] Cowper, transl., The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, Translated into Blank Verse, […], volume I, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 3:But what had occupied him most was the robe he was to wear at his coronation, the robe of tissued gold, and the ruby-studded crown, and the sceptre with its rows and rings of pearls.
1891, Oscar Wilde, “The Young King”, in A House of Pomegranates, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine & Co […], →OCLC, page 6:“Divine receptacle of excellence, let it not be deemed impertinent, or deviating from the rules of propriety, if I propound one queſtion which now labours in my breaſt; aſſuring me firſt, you will not let the ſceptre of true judgment depart from your right hand.”
1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page 11:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| scepter | US, alternative | lexicographic | |
| sceptres | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
Translations (70)
nl scepter (ornamental staff) · ms cogan (ornamental staff) · id jogan (ornamental staff) · it scettro (ornamental staff) · ru жезл (ornamental staff) · fo kongsstavur (ornamental staff) · et skepter (ornamental staff) · ko 왕홀 (ornamental staff) · fi valtikka (ornamental staff) · he שַׁרְבִיט (ornamental staff) · ang cyneġierd (ornamental staff) · hy գայիսոն (ornamental staff) · sv spira (ornamental staff) · lv scepteris (ornamental staff) · ast cetru (ornamental staff) · pdt Zepta (ornamental staff) · mi hepeta (ornamental staff) · bg же́зъл (ornamental staff) · uk бе́рло (ornamental staff) · ta செங்கோல் (ornamental staff) · da scepter (ornamental staff) · uk скі́петр (ornamental staff) · el σκήπτρο (ornamental staff) · sk žezlo (ornamental staff) · pl berło (ornamental staff) · cmn 權杖 /权杖 (ornamental staff) · ka კვერთხი (ornamental staff) · bg скиптър (ornamental staff) · cs žezlo (ornamental staff) · sl žezlo (ornamental staff) · th คทา (ornamental staff) · ga slat ríoga (ornamental staff) · de Zepter (ornamental staff) · grc σκῆπτρον (ornamental staff) · sh жезло (ornamental staff) · ml ചെങ്കോൽ (ornamental staff) · hu jogar (ornamental staff) · fr sceptre (ornamental staff) · gl cetro (ornamental staff) · la sceptrum (ornamental staff) · sux 𒄑𒉺 (ornamental staff) · eo sceptro (ornamental staff) · fo veldisstavur (ornamental staff) · uk жезл (ornamental staff) · sh žezlo (ornamental staff) · ru ски́петр (ornamental staff) · akk 𒄑𒉺 (ornamental staff) · mk жезол (ornamental staff) · ja 王笏 (ornamental staff) · pt cetro (ornamental staff) · la baculum (ornamental staff) · be жазло́ (ornamental staff) · ro sceptru (ornamental staff) · ar صَوْلَجَان (ornamental staff) · vi trượng (ornamental staff) · no septer (ornamental staff) · cu жьзлъ (ornamental staff) · lt skeptras (ornamental staff) · de Szepter (ornamental staff) · af septer (ornamental staff) · vi quyền trượng (ornamental staff) · hy գավազան (ornamental staff) · da spir (ornamental staff) · be скі́петр (ornamental staff) · es cetro (ornamental staff) · sw fimbo ya kifalme (ornamental staff) · ota عصا (ornamental staff) · tr hükümdar asası (ornamental staff) · tl setro (ornamental staff) · ca ceptre (ornamental staff)