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wand

(wŏnd)

1. A thin supple rod, twig, or stick.

2. A slender rod carried as a symbol of office in a procession; a scepter.

3. Music A conductor's baton.

a. A stick or baton used by a magician, conjurer, or diviner.

b. A stick or baton associated with the supernatural as a source of power.

5. A pipelike attachment that lengthens the handle of a device or tool: a vacuum cleaner that has two extension wands.

6. A handheld electronic device, often shaped like a rod, that is used for security purposes to detect metal.

7. Sports A narrow slat used as an archery target.

tr.v. wand·ed, wand·ing, wands

To scan (a person, for example) with an electronic wand.

[Middle English, from Old Norse vöndr.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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