Scep·ter, Scep·tre n.
1. A staff or baton borne by a sovereign, as a ceremonial badge or emblem of authority; a royal mace.
And the king held out Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. --Esther v. 2.
2. Hence, royal or imperial power or authority; sovereignty; as, to assume the scepter.
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. --Gen. xlix. 10.
Scep·ter, Scep·tre , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sceptered or Sceptred (░); p. pr. & vb. n. Sceptering or Sceptring ] To endow with the scepter, or emblem of authority; to invest with royal authority.
To Britain's queen the sceptered suppliant bends. --Tickell.
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sceptre
n 1: the imperial authority symbolized by a scepter [syn: scepter]
2: a ceremonial or emblematic staff [syn: scepter, verge, wand]
Sceptre
(Heb. shebet = Gr. skeptron), properly a staff or rod. As a
symbol of authority, the use of the sceptre originated in the
idea that the ruler was as a shepherd of his people (Gen. 49:10;
Num. 24:17; Ps. 45:6; Isa. 14:5). There is no example on record
of a sceptre having ever been actually handled by a Jewish king.