noun
sceptre
SEHP-tuh
noun
1
A decorated ceremonial staff carried by a ruling monarch as a symbol of royal power.
"The queen carried the sceptre during the coronation ceremony."
"A golden sceptre was placed beside the crown in the display case."
How to Use Sceptre
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA ceremonial rod that symbolizes a monarch's authority.
UK vs US
This is the British spelling; American English uses "scepter".
Easily confused with
Word Forms
sceptred past tense, sceptres plural, sceptres singular
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The queen carried the _____ during the coronation ceremony.
Etymology
From Old French sceptre, from Latin scēptrum, from Greek skēptron ("staff, baton"), from a root meaning "to lean on a staff".