Fasces

[fæsi:z]

Definition

(noun.) bundle of rods containing an axe with the blade protruding; in ancient Rome it was a symbol of a magistrate's power; in modern Italy it is a symbol of fascism.

Edited by Jimmy--From WordNet

Definition

(pl.) A bundle of rods, having among them an ax with the blade projecting, borne before the Roman magistrates as a badge of their authority.

Checker: Mortimer

Definition

n.pl. a bundle of rods with an axe in the middle borne before the ancient Roman principal magistrates.

Editor: Tamara