bejewel

American  

[bih-joo-uhl] / bɪˈdʒu əl /

verb (used with object)

bejeweled, bejeweling, bejewelled, bejewelling

1. to adorn with or as if with jewels.

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bejewel British  

/ bɪˈdʒuːəl /

verb

1. (tr) to decorate with or as if with jewels

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Etymology

Origin of bejewel

First recorded in 1550–60; be- + jewel

Explanation

To bejewel something is to decorate it with sparkly gems. You could make your plain tote bag more exciting if you bejewel it with shiny sequins and beads. You might bejewel a young friend's crown so she'll look more like a queen in her Halloween costume, or you could use a hot glue gun and bejewel some barrettes for your sister, who loves to dress in sparkly gowns. The word bejewel dates from the 1500s, with the jewel part rooted in the Old French word jouel, "ornament," possibly from the Latin jocus, "pastime," or in Vulgar Latin, "that which causes joy."

Example Sentences

Through six editions now, their clear, planed prose has proved an essential reference for Angelenos in search of all the treasures that bejewel L.A.’s rumpled topography.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2023

Yet so strong are her sublimation abilities that the beads of sweat appear to bejewel her.

From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2018

This past season, the franchise with enough World Series rings to bejewel a small army failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year.

From New York Times • Nov. 5, 2014

But Daniel Wende of Germany, you cannot bejewel a gladiator outfit.

From Time • Feb. 16, 2010

Pale butterflies of new-come May flutter among the dandelions that bejewel this emerald cup of Gæa, and sometimes drowsy wings are folded sleepily upon a gold rosette.

From Minstrel Weather by Storm, Marian