gem
Americannoun
-
a cut and polished precious stone or pearl fine enough for use in jewelry.
-
something likened to or prized as such a stone because of its beauty or worth.
His painting was the gem of the collection.
-
a person held in great esteem or affection.
-
British Printing. a 4-point type of a size between brilliant and diamond.
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
-
a precious or semiprecious stone used in jewellery as a decoration; jewel
-
a person or thing held to be a perfect example; treasure
-
a size of printer's type, approximately equal to 4 point
-
a type of small sweet cake
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of gem
1275–1325; Middle English gemme < Old French < Latin gemma bud, jewel; replacing Middle English yimme, Old English gim ( m ) < Latin
Explanation
A gem is a precious or semi-precious stone, or a jewel. A silversmith might experiment with adding gems to her rings and necklaces. The sparkly gem in your grandmother's fancy ring might be a diamond, while your aunt appears to prefer the polished greenish-blue gems called turquoise. If you're trained to identify and put a value on gems, you can call yourself a gemologist. Gem is from the Old French gemme, which has a Latin root, gemma, "precious stone or jewel."
Vocabulary lists containing gem
In A Sedimental Mood: Rock and Gem Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 27–February 2, 2024
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The first clone of Gem Twist, Gemini, was born in 2008.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
Professional Sports Authenticator graded the card a Gem Mint 10, which the PSA site says is reserved for “virtually perfect” cards.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Gem Murray, a 27-year-old creative director from New York, compared the practice to bidding wars on apartments.
From Slate • Jan. 20, 2026
Or build a composed salad on top of it — say, a swoop of purée topped with Little Gem, toasted pistachios, shards of Manchego and morsels of dried cherries.
From Salon • May 16, 2025
Its reputation went far beyond the borders of the city; Chicago was known throughout the United States and the world as the Queen City of the West and the Gem of the Prairie.
From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy
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.
