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• jewel
  jewel

  noun

  a cut and polished precious stone; gem.
• Jewel
  Jewel

  noun

  a female given name.

jewel

¹ American  

[joo-uhl] / ˈdʒu əl /

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.

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verb (used with object)

jeweled, jeweling, jewelled, jewelling

1. to set or adorn with jewels.

Jewel ² American  

[joo-uhl] / ˈdʒu əl /

noun

1. a female given name.

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jewel British  

/ 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?

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of jewel

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

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

“This home has kind of become our little special jewel box,” she said.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

The crown jewel of the route is the legendary Ribblehead Viaduct.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

India has repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought the return of the priceless jewel.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

The Golden Crescent glistened like a jewel, and behind it the Ridge stood tall, a wall protecting a treasure.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Related Words

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