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Webster 1913 Edition

Gem

Gem

,
Noun.
[OE.
gemme
precious stone, F.
gemme
, fr. L.
gemma
a precious stone, bud.]
1.
(Bot.)
A bud.
From the joints of thy prolific stem
A swelling knot is raised called a
gem
.
Denham.
2.
A precious stone of any kind, as the ruby, emerald, topaz, sapphire, beryl, spinel, etc., especially when cut and polished for ornament; a jewel.
Milton.
3.
Anything of small size, or expressed within brief limits, which is regarded as a gem on account of its beauty or value, as a small picture, a verse of poetry, a witty or wise saying.
Artificial gem
,
an imitation of a gem, made of glass colored with metallic oxide. Cf.
Paste
, and
Strass
.

Gem

Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Gemmed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Gemming
]
1.
To put forth in the form of buds.
“Gemmed their blossoms.”
[R.]
Milton.
2.
To adorn with gems or precious stones.
3.
To embellish or adorn, as with gems;
as, a foliage
gemmed
with dewdrops
.
England is . . .
gemmed
with castles and palaces.
W. Irving.

Webster 1828 Edition

Gem

GEM

,
Noun.
[L. gemma.]
1.
A bud. In botany, the bud or compendium of a plant, covered with scales to protect the rudiments from the cold of winter and other injuries; called the hybernacle or winter quarters of a plant.
2.
A precious stone of any kind, as the ruby, topaz, emerald, &c.

GEM

,
Verb.
T.
To adorn with gems, jewels or precious stones.
1.
To bespangle; as foliage gemmed with dew drops.
2.
To embellish with detached beauties.
England is studded and gemmed with castles and palaces.

GEM

,
Verb.
I.
To bud; to germinate.

Definition 2024

Gem

Gem

See also: gem, gém, gêm, and GEM

English

Proper noun

Gem

  1. A native or resident of the American state of Idaho.
  2. A ghost town in California.
  3. An unincorporated community in Indiana.
  4. A city in Kansas.

Anagrams

gem

gem

See also: gém, gêm, Gem, and GEM

English

Noun

gem ‎(plural gems)

  1. A precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?)
    • 2012 March 1, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 128:
      Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are diamond, ruby and sapphire, emerald and other gem forms of the mineral beryl, chrysoberyl, tanzanite, tsavorite, topaz and jade.
  2. (figuratively) any precious or highly valued thing or person
    She's an absolute gem.
  3. Anything of small size, or expressed within brief limits, which is regarded as a gem on account of its beauty or value, such as a small picture, a verse of poetry, or an epigram.
    a gem of wit
  4. (obsolete) a gemma or leaf-bud
    • Denham
      From the joints of thy prolific stem / A swelling knot is raised called a gem.
  5. a type of geometrid moth, Orthonama obstipata
  6. (computing) A package containing programs or libraries for the Ruby programming language.
  7. (uncountable, printing, uncommon, obsolete) A size of type between brilliant (4-point) and diamond (4½-point), running 222 lines to the foot.

Synonyms

  • (precious stone): gemstone, jewel, precious stone; see also Wikisaurus:gemstone

Translations

Verb

gem ‎(third-person singular simple present gems, present participle gemming, simple past and past participle gemmed)

  1. (transitive) To adorn with, or as if with, gems.
    • 1827, Various, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 10,:
      A few bright and beautiful stars gemmed the wide concave of heaven […] .
    • 1872, J. Fenimore Cooper, The Bravo:
      Above was the firmament, gemmed with worlds, and sublime in immensity.
    • 1920, John Freeman, Poems New and Old:
      The rain Shook from fruit bushes in new showers again As I brushed past, and gemmed the window pane.

See also

Anagrams

Danish

Verb

gem

  1. imperative of gemme

Meriam

Noun

gem

  1. body


Romanian

gem

Etymology 1

From English jam.

Noun

gem n ‎(plural gemuri)

  1. jam (sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar)
Declension

Etymology 2

Verb

gem

  1. first-person singular present tense form of geme.
  2. first-person singular subjunctive form of geme.
  3. third-person plural present tense form of geme.

Swedish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡeːm/

Noun

gem n

  1. a paper clip
  2. (tennis) a game; part of a set

Declension

Inflection of gem 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative gem gemet gem gemen
Genitive gems gemets gems gemens

References

Volapük

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ɡem]

Noun

gem ‎(plural gems)

  1. sibling
    • 1949, "Lifajenäd brefik cifala: ‚Jakob Sprenger‛", in Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans, issue 4, 13-14.
      ‚Jakob‛ äbinom cil mälid se gems vel: blods lul e sörs tel.
      Jakob was the fifth child out of seven siblings: five brothers and two sisters.

Declension

Hyponyms

  • blod ‎(“brother”)
  • higem ‎(“brother”)
  • jiblod ‎(“sister”)
  • jigem ‎(“sister”)
  • sör ‎(“sister”)

Derived terms

  • (collective) gemef ‎(“brother(s) and/or sister(s)”)
  • (adjective) gemik ‎(“sibling”)

Etymology

From Middle English gemme, from Old English gim, gimm ‎(“gem”) and Old French gemme ‎(“gem”); both from Latin gemma ‎(“a swelling bud; a jewel; gem”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: jĕm, IPA(key): /d͡ʒɛm/
  • Rhymes: -ɛm
  • Homophones: gym, Jim (pin-pen merger)

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