jewelry
Americannoun
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articles of gold, silver, precious stones, etc., for personal adornment.
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any ornaments for personal adornment, as necklaces or cuff links, including those of base metals, glass, plastic, or the like.
Etymology
Origin of jewelry
1300–50; Middle English juelrie < Anglo-French juelerie, equivalent to juel jewel + -erie -ery
Explanation
Jewelry refers to an adornment (generally precious metal or stone) worn by a person, like a bracelet, ring, necklace, or earrings. Jewelry may be purely decorative, or it may express something — like a ring that says you are married. Humans have been in the jewelry business for a long time: A shell bracelet, or necklace was found in a cave in South Africa that dates back 75,000 years. Both a diamond ring from Tiffany’s and a handmade beaded bracelet are jewelry, but whether the jewel in jewelry is real or imitation, it is always spelled out. More than one piece of jewelry is still the same word.
Vocabulary lists containing jewelry
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 1
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In A Sedimental Mood: Rock and Gem Vocabulary
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List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Retailers selling everything from jewelry to makeup beat analysts’ first-quarter earnings forecasts,” she said.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
“The Jewelry Stores industry is in a clear downshift, even if the broader jewelry market still looks healthy on the surface,” IBISWorld, an industry research group, reported.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
Scott, 52, launched her jewelry line with $500 in 2002 and grew it over the years into a billion-dollar lifestyle brand that’s especially popular in the South.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
The core jewelry business, which houses brands such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, recorded a 16% increase in quarterly sales driven by strong demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
“If only my brother would let me have it,” Mrs. Thayer whispered, stepping closer to me over the jewelry case like we were old pals.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
