gem

[ jem ]

noun

1. a cut and polished precious stone or pearl fine enough for use in jewelry.
2. something likened to or prized as such a stone because of its beauty or worth:

   His painting was the gem of the collection.

   Synonyms: pearl, jewel, prize, treasure

3. a person held in great esteem or affection.
4. muffin ( def 1 ).
5. British Printing. a 4-point type of a size between brilliant and diamond.

verb (used with object)

, gemmed, gem·ming.

1. to adorn with or as with gems; begem.

adjective

1. Jewelry. noting perfection or very high quality:

   gem color; a gem ruby.

gem

/ dʒɛm /

noun

1. a precious or semiprecious stone used in jewellery as a decoration; jewel
2. a person or thing held to be a perfect example; treasure
3. a size of printer's type, approximately equal to 4 point
4. a type of small sweet cake

verb

1. tr to set or ornament with gems

Derived Forms

• ˈgemmy, adjective
• ˈgemˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• gemless adjective
• gemlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gem¹

1275–1325; Middle English gemme < Old French < Latin gemma bud, jewel; replacing Middle English yimme, Old English gim ( m ) < Latin

Word History and Origins

Origin of gem¹

C14: from Old French gemme, from Latin gemma bud, precious stone

Example Sentences

This, he said, wasn’t the Lakers unearthing some gem.

From Los Angeles Times

And while a hot dog may not seem like a culinary gem in a far-off country, ordering one is an immersive experience of everyday life in the Faroes.

From Salon

But crossing the pitch at Cliftonhill, an old-fashioned gem of a ground, is the wildest of the lot.

From BBC

In a 4-2 Dodgers win that gave them a three-games-to-none lead in the World Series, Buehler delivered a vintage October gem to put them on the doorstep of a championship.

From Los Angeles Times

As the oft-told story goes, former Dodger Dave Stewart had thrown a no-hitter earlier in the day for the Oakland A’s, and as Fernando walked past a gathering of Dodger teammates who had just witnessed Stewart’s gem on TV, he said, “You just saw a no-hitter on TV, and now you will see one in person.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hardware
• jewel
• jewelry
• masterpiece
• ornament
• stone