jewel

¹

[joo-uhl]

noun

1. a cut and polished precious stone; gem.

2. a fashioned ornament for personal adornment, especially of a precious metal set with gems.

3. a precious possession.

4. a person or thing that is treasured, esteemed, or indispensable.

5. a durable bearing used in fine timepieces and other delicate instruments, made of natural or synthetic precious stone or other very hard material.

6. an ornamental boss of glass, sometimes cut with facets, in stained-glass work.

7. something resembling a jewel in appearance, ornamental effect, or the like, as a star.

verb (used with object)

jeweled, jeweling , jewelled, jewelling .

1. to set or adorn with jewels.

Jewel

²

[joo-uhl]

noun

1. a female given name.

jewel

/ ˈdʒuːəl /

noun

1. a precious or semiprecious stone; gem

2. a person or thing resembling a jewel in preciousness, brilliance, etc

3. a gemstone, often synthetically produced, used as a bearing in a watch

4. a piece of jewellery

5. an ornamental glass boss, sometimes faceted, used in stained glasswork

6. the most valuable, esteemed, or successful person or thing of a number

   who will be the jewel in the crown of English soccer?

verb

1. (tr) to fit or decorate with a jewel or jewels

Other Word Forms

• jewellike adjective
• unjeweled adjective
• unjewelled adjective
• jewelled adjective
• jewel-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of jewel¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of jewel¹

C13: from Old French jouel, perhaps from jeu game, from Latin jocus

Example Sentences

The Louvre has even transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France.

Read more on BBC

"I've leaned over the fence… and just pinched the crown jewel - their most revered book - and taken it down the pub."

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His tenure followed a nearly two-decade tumultuous stretch for the insurance conglomerate that included near bankruptcy, multiple management changes and the selling off of crown jewels to repay one of the U.S. government’s biggest bailouts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

For 300 years, New Spain remained the glittering jewel in the Spanish crown, enriching the mother country and shaping world history.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Before dining, customers picked out their garments from a room lined with traditional "hanfu", or Han clothing, headpieces adorned with faux jewels, and accessories.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• bauble 
• bead 
• bling 
• gem 
• gemstone 
• ornament 
• stone 
• trinket