gems

[gems]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gems ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural gems·es [gem-siz, -ziz] /ˈgɛm sɪz, -zɪz/.

chamois(def 1).

Also gem·se

[gem-zuh] /ˈgɛm zə/.

Origin of gems

< German; Old High German gamiza < Late Latin camoc- (stem of camox)

gem

[jem]

noun

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.

muffin(def 1).

British Printing. a 4-point type of a size between brilliant and diamond.

verb (used with object), gemmed, gem·ming.

to adorn with or as with gems; begem.

adjective

Jewelry. noting perfection or very high quality: gem color; a gem ruby.

Origin of gem

1275–1325; Middle English gemme < Old French < Latin gemma bud, jewel; replacing Middle English yimme, Old English gim(m) < Latin

Related formsgem·less, adjectivegem·like, adjective

Synonyms for gem

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gem ON THESAURUS.COM

2. treasure, prize, jewel, pearl.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for gems

stone, jewelry, jewel, ornament, masterpiece, hardware, trump, glass, pick, paragon, nonpareil, pearl, rock, bauble, prize, sparkler

Examples from the Web for gems

Contemporary Examples of gems

Deadspin pointed out some of the lows of his argument—and wow, are there some gems.
Gator Quarterback’s Lawyer: Blame This Victim
Kelsey Meany
October 10, 2014
He signed into CLASH OF CLANS, and quickly burned through the “gems” in his stockpile.
Woman Finds Mysterious Charges on Her iTunes Bill: A Modern Whodunit!
Nancy Neufeld Callaway
January 31, 2014
But the list also includes some gems we have forgotten about by now.
Most-Watched YouTube Videos of 2013: Ylvis, Harlem Shake & More (WATCH)
Jimmy So
December 11, 2013
It was made by society jewelers Garrard, who refashioned the gems from a pendant she was given by her husband, George VI.
Kate Dazzles in Vintage Tiara
Tom Sykes
December 4, 2013
Gems are far scarcer, but anytime a player is running low, they can always open their wallet and buy some.
A Game Called The Tribez: Inside the City-Building Behemoth
Alec Kubas-Meyer
October 22, 2013

Historical Examples of gems

While I have gathered foreign jewels, I have been ignorant of the gems in my own family.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
He was prepared to meet dazzling wonders of gems or priceless metal.
Salvage in Space
John Stewart Williamson
Her camorra, too, was open, and in her girdle there were gems for all to see.
The Shame of Motley
Raphael Sabatini
His boots were of black velvet, laced with gold thread that was studded with gems.
The Life of Cesare Borgia
Raphael Sabatini
To have refused would have been to confess that I did not appreciate his "gems" as he called them.
Masterpieces of Mystery
Various

British Dictionary definitions for gems

gem

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

NZ a type of small sweet cake

verb gems, gemming or gemmed

(tr) to set or ornament with gems

Derived Formsgemlike, adjectivegemmy, adjective

Word Origin for gem

C14: from Old French gemme, from Latin gemma bud, precious stone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gems

gem

Old English gimm "precious stone, gem, jewel," also "eye," from Latin gemma "precious stone, jewel," originally "bud," perhaps from the root *gen- "to produce," or from PIE *gembh- "tooth, nail." Of persons, from late 13c. Forms in -i-, -y- were lost early 14c., and the modern form of the word probably representing a Middle English borrowing from Old French gemme (12c.). As a verb, from c.1600, "to adorn with gems;" mid-12c. as "to bud."