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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

The request for a warrant comes weeks after BTS - Hybe's crown jewel and the reason for its immense success - kicked off a comeback world tour following a hiatus of nearly four years.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

The franchise is the crown jewel of producer Dick Wolf’s empire, with the mothership series kicking off a milestone season Thursday on NBC.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Family members are constantly coming and going through the yard—the Heussenstamms share the property with several of Molly’s siblings—so Molly wanted the space to read like a jewel box from the rear.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

“Tesla Energy is a hidden jewel that does not get the recognition it deserves,” wrote Dorsheimer.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

The full moon looked less like a jewel than a yellowy blister in need of lancing.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Related Words

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