wand [ME] A word from Old Norse, and related to wend [OE] and wind [OE] ‘to move in a twisting way’—the basic idea seems to be of a supple, flexible stick. Early senses include a sapling or cutting, a rod or switch, and a staff of office, but it has always been used for a magic wand as well. Wander [OE], ‘to move hither and thither in a leisurely or aimless way’, comes from a similar root.