stem

[ stem ]

/ stɛm /

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noun

the ascending axis of a plant, whether above or below ground, which ordinarily grows in an opposite direction to the root or descending axis.

the stalk that supports a leaf, flower, or fruit.

the main body of that portion of a tree, shrub, or other plant which is above ground; trunk; stalk.

a cut flower: We bought roses at the flower market for 50¢ a stem.

a petiole; peduncle; pedicel.

a stalk of bananas.

something resembling or suggesting a leaf or flower stalk.

a long, slender part: the stem of a tobacco pipe.

the slender, vertical part of a goblet, wineglass, etc., between the bowl and the base.

Informal. a drinking glass having a stem.

the handle of a spoon.

a projection from the rim of a watch, having on its end a knob for winding the watch.

the circular rod in some locks about which the key fits and rotates.

the rod or spindle by which a valve is operated from outside.

the stock or line of descent of a family; ancestry or pedigree.

Grammar. the underlying form, often consisting of a root plus an affix, to which the inflectional endings of a word are added, as tend-, the stem in Latin tendere “to stretch,” the root of which is ten-.Compare base¹ (def. 19), theme (def. 5).

Music. the vertical line forming part of a note.

stems, Slang. the legs of a human being.

the main or relatively thick stroke of a letter in printing.

verb (used with object), stemmed, stem·ming.

to remove the stem from (a leaf, fruit, etc.): Stem the cherries before cooking.

verb (used without object), stemmed, stem·ming.

to arise or originate: This project stems from last week's lecture.

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of stem

First recorded before 900; Middle English stem(me), Old English stemn, stefn “stem (of a plant or ship)”; from Germanic stamniz “stem, tree trunk” (equivalent to stə-, a variant of the root stā- “to stand, place” + -mn-, noun suffix); akin to Old Norse stafn “stem of a ship,” Old Saxon stamm, Old High German stam “stem, tribe,” Greek stámnos “large (standing) jar”; cf. stamnos, stand

OTHER WORDS FROM stem

stemless, adjectivestemlike, adjective

Other definitions for stem (2 of 6)

stem²

[ stem ]

/ stɛm /

verb (used with object), stemmed, stem·ming.

to stop, check, or restrain.

to dam up; stop the flow of (a stream, river, or the like).

to tamp, plug, or make tight, as a hole or joint.

Skiing. to maneuver (a ski or skis) in executing a stem.

to stanch (bleeding).

verb (used without object), stemmed, stem·ming.

Skiing. to execute a stem.

noun

Skiing. the act or instance of a skier pushing the heel of one or both skis outward so that the heels are far apart, as in making certain turns or slowing down.

Origin of stem

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English stemmen, from Old Norse stemma “to dam” or Middle Low German stemmen

Other definitions for stem (3 of 6)

stem³

[ stem ]

/ stɛm /

verb (used with object), stemmed, stem·ming.

to make headway against (a tide, current, gale, etc.).

to make progress against (any opposition).

Origin of stem

First recorded in 1585–95; verb use of stem⁴:see origin at stem¹

Other definitions for stem (4 of 6)

stem⁴

[ stem ]

/ stɛm /

noun Nautical.

(at the bow of a vessel) an upright into which the side timbers or plates are jointed.

the forward part of a vessel (often opposed to stern).

Origin of stem

⁴

First recorded before 900; continuing Old English stefn, stemn “end-timber,” Middle English stampne, stamyn(e), apparently from the Old Norse cognate stamn, stafn in the same sense; see origin at stem¹

Other definitions for stem (5 of 6)

stem⁵

[ stem ]

/ stɛm /

verb (used with object), stemmed, stem·ming.

to arrange the loading of (a merchant vessel) within a specified time.

Origin of stem

⁵

First recorded in 1895–1900; variant of obsolete steven “to direct one's course,” from Old Norse stefna “to sail directly, aim,” derivative of stafn stem⁴;see origin at stem¹

Other definitions for stem (6 of 6)

STEM

[ stem ]

/ stɛm /

noun

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, considered as a group of academic or career fields (often used attributively): degree programs in STEM disciplines;teaching STEM in high school.

Origin of STEM

First recorded in 1965–70

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use stem in a sentence

Shankar guided their team of five through every stage, from harvesting the stems to extracting and drying the fibers.
How a Wasteland Shrub Is Becoming the Next Big Thing in Fashion|Daniel Malloy|August 28, 2020|Ozy
The confusion stems from the fact that males and females of many species systematically behave in different ways.
No, Animals Do Not Have Genders - Facts So Romantic|Cailin O'Connor|August 26, 2020|Nautilus
Much of the doubt stems from the breakneck speed at which coronavirus vaccines are being developed.
Liberal, Educated … and Anti-Vaxxer: Pandemic Births New Vaccine Doubters|Charu Kasturi|August 25, 2020|Ozy
The uncertainty in our current 2020 forecast, conversely, stems mostly from the fact that there’s still a long way to go until the election.
It’s Way Too Soon To Count Trump Out|Nate Silver (nrsilver@fivethirtyeight.com)|August 12, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

The city attorney’s office did not appear in court and spokeswoman Hilary Nemchik told VOSD its lack of involvement stemmed from the fact that the office does not handle evidence in most MTS cases.
MTS Purged Body Camera Footage Before Man’s Attorney Could Access it|Lisa Halverstadt|July 21, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Other schools have been shuttered because of attacks and threats stemming from the war that continues to engulf the country.
The West Made Lots of Promises to Afghan Girls, Now It’s Breaking Them|Heather Barr|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Finally the epithet of "deathless" gets some explanation, stemming from Golovan's fearless ministrations during a plague.
The Forgotten Russian: The Genius of Nikolai Leskov|Benjamin Lytal|April 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Stemming from the sexual revolution of the 1960s, the cult of nudity entered its golden age in the 1990s.
‘Mannequin, le Corps de la Mode’ (‘Models’ Bodies : The Crux of Fashion’) Exhibition in Paris|Rebecca Benhamou|March 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And that may be the greatest scandal stemming from the fall of 2008.
Why Do Banks Get Away With Murder?|Daniel Gross|February 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This convivial mask he wears, along with his omnipresent flask, is obscuring a deep hurt stemming from his father.
‘The Spectacular Now,’ Starring Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller, Is One of Sundance’s Best|Marlow Stern|January 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
These workers are engaged primarily in the manufacture of cigarettes and in tobacco stemming and redrying.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Danville has the largest number of tobacco stemming and redrying workers.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
A minor, indirect destruction stemming from the sudden, wholesale smashing of a city.
Time Enough at Last|Lyn Venable
This is a feeling stemming from my understanding of the difficulties they faced working in a free society.
Warren Commission (3 of 26): Hearings Vol. III (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
When the leaders found themselves on the edge, they have endeavored to recoil; but there was no stemming the tide behind them.
The Life of Kit Carson|Edward S. Ellis

British Dictionary definitions for stem (1 of 3)

stem¹

/ (stɛm) /

noun

the main axis of a plant, which bears the leaves, axillary buds, and flowers and contains a hollow cylinder of vascular tissue

any similar subsidiary structure in such plants that bears a flower, fruit, or leaf

a corresponding structure in algae and fungi

any long slender part, such as the hollow part of a tobacco pipe that lies between the bit and the bowl, or the support between the base and the bowl of a wineglass, goblet, etc

a banana stalk with several bunches attached

the main line of descent or branch of a family

a round pin in some locks on which a socket in the end of a key fits and about which it rotates

any projecting feature of a component: a shank or cylindrical pin or rod, such as the pin that carries the winding knob on a watch

linguistics the form of a word that remains after removal of all inflectional affixes; the root of a word, esp as occurring together with a thematic elementCompare root 1 (def. 9)

the main, usually vertical, stroke of a letter or of a musical note such as a minim

electronics the tubular glass section projecting from the base of a light bulb or electronic valve, on which the filament or electrodes are mounted

the main upright timber or structure at the bow of a vessel
the very forward end of a vessel (esp in the phrase from stem to stern)

verb stems, stemming or stemmed

(intr usually foll by from) to be derived; originatethe instability stems from the war

(tr) to make headway against (a tide, wind, etc)

(tr) to remove or disengage the stem or stems from

(tr) to supply (something) with a stem or stems

Derived forms of stem

stemlike, adjectivestemmer, noun

Word Origin for stem

Old English stemn; related to Old Norse stafn stem of a ship, German Stamm tribe, Gothic stōma basis, Latin stāmen thread

British Dictionary definitions for stem (2 of 3)

stem²

/ (stɛm) /

verb stems, stemming or stemmed

(tr) to restrain or stop (the flow of something) by or as if by damming up

(tr) to pack tightly or stop up

skiing to manoeuvre (a ski or skis), as in performing a stem

noun

skiing a technique in which the heel of one ski or both skis is forced outwards from the direction of movement in order to slow down or turn

Derived forms of stem

stemmer, noun

Word Origin for stem

C15 stemmen, from Old Norse stemma; related to Old Norse stamr blocked, stammering, German stemmen to prop; see stammer

British Dictionary definitions for stem (3 of 3)

Stem

/ (stɛm) /

noun

die Stem (di) the South African national anthem until 1991, when part of it was incorporated into the current anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrikaSee Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

Word Origin for Stem

C19: from Afrikaans, the call

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

Medical definitions for stem

stem

[ stĕm ]

A supporting structure resembling the stalk of a plant.

Scientific definitions for stem

stem

[ stĕm ]

The main, often long or slender part of a plant that usually grows upward above the ground and supports other parts, such as branches and leaves. Plants have evolved a number of tissue arrangements in the stem. Seedless vascular plants (such as mosses and ferns) have primary vascular tissue in an inner core, a cylindrical ring, or individual strands scattered amid the ground tissue. In eudicots, magnoliids, and conifers, the stem develops a continuous cylindrical layer or a ring of separate bundles of vascular tissue (including secondary vascular tissue) embedded in the ground tissue. In monocots and some herbaceous eudicots, individual strands of primary vascular tissue are scattered in the ground tissue.

A slender stalk supporting or connecting another plant part, such as a leaf or flower.

Other Idioms and Phrases with stem

stem

In addition to the idiom beginning with stem

stem the tide
stem to stern

also see:

from soup to nuts (stem to stern)

stem

Origin of stem

OTHER WORDS FROM stem

Other definitions for stem (2 of 6)

Origin of stem

Other definitions for stem (3 of 6)

Origin of stem

Other definitions for stem (4 of 6)

Origin of stem

Other definitions for stem (5 of 6)

Origin of stem

Other definitions for stem (6 of 6)

Origin of STEM

Words related to stem

How to use stem in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stem (1 of 3)

Derived forms of stem

Word Origin for stem

British Dictionary definitions for stem (2 of 3)

Derived forms of stem

Word Origin for stem

British Dictionary definitions for stem (3 of 3)

Word Origin for Stem

Medical definitions for stem

Scientific definitions for stem

Other Idioms and Phrases with stem