Fasci

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A plural term that can refer to bundles of rods bound together as an emblem of authority in ancient Rome ; sheaves or groupings in botany or anatomy ; or metaphorically, any tightly bound collection of objects or people
2. Used to denote multiple symbolic rods tied in a cluster representing power in Roman times ; collections or bands in plant or bodily contexts ; or any group tightly joined for strength or purpose
3. Signifies more than one ceremonial bundle symbolizing office or jurisdiction in classical culture ; compact clusters in anatomical or botanical use ; or any unified and cohesive assemblage

Etymology: "Fasci" is the plural of "fascio," an Italian word borrowed into English, and its plural form is the one readers most often meet. The Latin "fascis" meant a bundle of rods or sticks, and in ancient Rome it had a specific public meaning: a bundle of rods, often with an axe fixed among them, carried before senior magistrates as a sign of their authority to punish. Because the rods were bound together, the image came to stand for strength through unity, which is why a single bundle could signify power. The Latin word descends from a much older root, reconstructed as "bʰaskis" in Proto-Indo-European and passing through Proto-Italic "faskis," so the idea of a bound bundle of sticks is very old. In Italian, "fascio" kept the sense of a bundle or cluster, and it later took on the broader meaning of any group bound together for a common purpose, which is how English speakers came to use it for tightly joined bands or collections.

Synonyms: fascia, band, bundle, layer, sheet