WAND

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does wand mean? 

• WAND (noun)
  The noun WAND has 4 senses:

1. a rod used by a magician or water diviner

2. a thin supple twig or rod

3. a ceremonial or emblematic staff

4. a thin tapered rod used by a conductor to lead an orchestra or choir

  Familiarity information: WAND used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WAND (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A rod used by a magician or water diviner

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("wand" is a kind of...):

rod (a long thin implement made of metal or wood)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A thin supple twig or rod

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Context example:

stems bearing slender wands of flowers

Hypernyms ("wand" is a kind of...):

branchlet; sprig; twig (a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A ceremonial or emblematic staff

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

scepter; sceptre; verge; wand

Hypernyms ("wand" is a kind of...):

staff (a rod carried as a symbol)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "wand"):

bauble (a mock scepter carried by a court jester)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A thin tapered rod used by a conductor to lead an orchestra or choir

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

baton; wand

Hypernyms ("wand" is a kind of...):

rod (a long thin implement made of metal or wood)

 Context examples 

Know then that the sheath is one cloth-yard, in length, marked off according to feet and inches to serve me as a measuring wand.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But, said Roland, I counsel you first to take away her magic wand, or we cannot escape if she pursues us.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Waving a wand, it sang...

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Pace out the distances with a wand at every five score, and do you, Arnaud, stand at the fifth wand to carry back my bolts to me.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The door flew open at the third stroke of the wand, and when the lions were quieted he went on through the castle and came at length to a beautiful hall.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

A line was measured down the valley, and Johnston, drawing an arrow to the very head, sent it whistling over the row of wands.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then the prince thanked his little friend with the scarlet cloak for his friendly aid, and took the wand and the bread, and went travelling on and on, over sea and over land, till he came to his journey’s end, and found everything to be as the dwarf had told him.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

“We shall hear anon,” said Johnston quietly, and presently a young archer came running to say that the arrow had fallen twenty paces beyond the fourth wand.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The maiden fetched the magic wand, and she took the dead girl’s head and dropped three drops of blood on the ground, one in front of the bed, one in the kitchen, and one on the stairs.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

From time to time an elderly man in black with rounded shoulders and a long white wand in his hand came softly forth from this inner room, and beckoned to one or other of the company, who doffed cap and followed him.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)