gem

Meaning

Noun

1. A precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.
2. Any precious or highly valued thing or person.
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.
4. (obsolete) A gemma or leaf-bud.
5. A geometrid moth of species Orthonama obstipata.
6. A package containing programs or libraries for the Ruby programming language.
7. (obsolete) A size of type between brilliant (4-point) and diamond (4½-point), running 222 lines to the foot.

Verb

To adorn with, or as if with, gems.

Concepts

gem

jewel

precious stone

gemstone

treasure

stone

diamond

pearl

muffin

rock

jewellery

bijou

jewelry

jade

article of rare beauty

semi-precious stone

stud with jewels

stones

adornment

flourish

ornament

noble stone

bead

beauty

cupcake

jewels

blade

sprout

boulder

sweetheart

sweetie

valued

jasper

coin

honorable

precious

respectable

valuable

costume jewellery

tomfoolery

decoration

Pronounced as (IPA)

/d͡ʒɛm/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English gemme, gimme, yimme, ȝimme, from Old English ġimm, from Proto-West Germanic *gimmu (“gem”) and Old French gemme (“gem”), both from Latin gemma (“a swelling bud; jewel, gem”). Doublet of gemma and Gemma.