a cut and polished precious stone; gem.
a fashioned ornament for personal adornment, especially of a precious metal set with gems.
a precious possession.
a person or thing that is treasured, esteemed, or indispensable.
a durable bearing used in fine timepieces and other delicate instruments, made of natural or synthetic precious stone or other very hard material.
an ornamental boss of glass, sometimes cut with facets, in stained-glass work.
something resembling a jewel in appearance, ornamental effect, or the like, as a star.
a precious or semiprecious stone; gem
a person or thing resembling a jewel in preciousness, brilliance, etc
a gemstone, often synthetically produced, used as a bearing in a watch
a piece of jewellery
an ornamental glass boss, sometimes faceted, used in stained glasswork
the most valuable, esteemed, or successful person or thing of a number
who will be the jewel in the crown of English soccer?
1250–1300; Middle English jouel juel < Anglo-French jeul, Old French jouel, joel < Vulgar Latin *jocāle plaything, noun use of neuter of *jocālis (adj.) of play, equivalent to Latin joc ( us ) joke + -ālis -al 1
A jewel is a valuable gem or stone, one that might be set in a ring or necklace. Your grandmother might keep her jewels locked in a safe, to protect them from thieves. You can see large, gorgeous jewels in museums and jewelry stores. The diamond in a diamond ring is a jewel, and the rubies in a pair of sparkly red earrings are also jewels. You can also use the word to mean "person as special as a jewel." The Old French root is jouel, which may stem from jocus, "sport or pastime" in Latin, and "that which causes joy" in Vulgar Latin.
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Currently, the jewel in SpaceX’s revenue crown is Starlink, Musk’s network of orbiting internet-providing satellites.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Each individual set piece is its own jewel of craftsmanship, usually combining the revolting with the amusing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The party has had one bright spot - regaining control of Westminster, once a highly prized jewel in the party's London crown that was taken from its grasp by Labour in 2022.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
But part of the fun of the Met Gala is everything we don’t expect — the looks, the attitudes, the subtext, the possibility of an eat-the-rich jewel heist.
From Salon • May 5, 2026
She opens the door to reveal Bryce cupping Jane Kitty in his hands like the most precious jewel in the world.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
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.
