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Definition of scion
1 : a detached living portion of a plant (such as a bud or shoot) joined to a stock in grafting and usually supplying solely aerial parts to a graft
2a : descendant, child; especially : a descendant of a wealthy, aristocratic, or influential familyb : heir 1 scion of a railroad empire
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Examples of scion in a Sentence
He's a scion of a powerful family.
Recent Examples of scion from the Web
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Its almost comical falseness has since created a mounting set of problems for the presidential scion.
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Dowdy and Dr. Glenn Pait, of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' Spine Clinic in Little Rock, aren't the first to describe the Kennedy family scion's back woes.
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That person was Reed Cordish, the 43-year-old scion of billionaire real estate developer David Cordish.
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In 1976, Baron Hans-Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, scion of Germany's Thyssen steel empire and one of the 20th century's most prominent art collectors, acquired it from New York gallery owner Stephen Hahn for $275,000.
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Robert A. Durst, the real estate scion awaiting trial on charges of murdering a close friend in Los Angeles, may be able to count his confidants on one hand.
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Cohn, with his bravado, reckless opportunism, legal pyrotechnics, and serial fabrication, became a fitting mentor for the young real-estate scion.
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Guest appearances are at a minimum, with Frank Ocean, reggae scion Damian Marley, and Beyonce credited on one track each.
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Tolkowsky is a scion of one of the industry’s most famous families who made their name cutting the biggest and most expensive gems.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scion'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Get Familial With scion
Scion derives from the Middle English sioun and Old French cion and is related to the Old English cīth and the Old High German kīdi (meaning "sprout" or "shoot"). When it first sprouted in English in the 14th century, scion meant "a shoot or twig." That sense withered in horticultural contexts, but the word branched out, adding the grafting-related meaning we know today. A figurative sense also blossomed referring to one's descendants, with particular reference to those who are descendants of notable families.
Origin and Etymology of scion
Middle English sioun, from Old French cion, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English cīth sprout, shoot, Old High German kīdi
Other Botany Terms
SCION Defined for English Language Learners
scion
playDefinition of scion for English Language Learners
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: a person who was born into a rich, famous, or important family
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botany : a piece of a plant that is attached to part of another plant
Learn More about scion
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See words that rhyme with scion Britannica English: Translation of scion for Arabic speakers
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