scion

Meaning

Noun

• A descendant, especially a first-generation descendant of a distinguished family.
• The heir to a throne.
• A guardian.
• A detached shoot or twig containing buds from a woody plant, used in grafting; a shoot or twig in a general sense.

Origin

• From Middle English sion, sioun, syon, scion, cion, from Old French cion, ciun, cyon, sion; from Frankish *kīþō, *kīþ, from Proto-Germanic *kīþô, *kīþą, *kīþaz, from Proto-Indo-European *geye- ("to split open, sprout"), same source as Old English ċīþ ("a young shoot; sprout; germ; sprig"), Old Saxon kīth ("sprout; germ"), Old High German kīdi ("offshoot; sprout; germ"). See also French scion and Picard chion. chit.