Botanythe part of a plant that grows in an opposite direction to the root and that supports a leaf, flower, or fruit.
a long, slender, supporting part, as of a wineglass or a tobacco pipe.
Timea part that sticks out from the body of a watch, having on its end a knob for winding the watch.
Grammara form of a word, made of a root alone or a root plus another part, such as a prefix or suffix, to which certain endings may be added:The word kindness is a stem made up of a root, kind, and a suffix, -ness, to which another suffix, -es, could be added.
v.
stem from, [~ + from + object] to come from; arise or originate from:Most of our problems stem from a lack of funds.
stem1(stem),USA pronunciationn., v.,stemmed, stem•ming. n.
Botanythe ascending axis of a plant, whether above or below ground, which ordinarily grows in an opposite direction to the root or descending axis.
Botanythe stalk that supports a leaf, flower, or fruit.
Botanythe main body of that portion of a tree, shrub, or other plant which is above ground; trunk; stalk.
Botanya cut flower:We bought roses at the flower market for 50¢ a stem.
Botanya petiole; peduncle; pedicel.
Botanya 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 Termsa drinking glass having a stem.
the handle of a spoon.
Timea projection from the rim of a watch, having on its end a knob for winding the watch.
Buildingthe circular rod in some locks about which the key fits and rotates.
Buildingthe rod or spindle by which a valve is operated from outside.
the stock or line of descent of a family; ancestry or pedigree.
Grammarthe 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-. Cf. base1 (def. 18), theme (def. 5).
Music and Dancethe vertical line forming part of a note.
Slang Termsstems, the legs of a human being.
the main or relatively thick stroke of a letter in printing.
v.t.
to remove the stem from (a leaf, fruit, etc.):Stem the cherries before cooking.
v.i.
to arise or originate:This project stems from last week's lecture.
bef. 900; Middle English; Old English stemn, stefn, equivalent. to ste- (variant of sta-, base of standan to stand) + -mn- suffix; akin to German Stamm stem, tribe; see staff1
Civil Engineeringto dam up; stop the flow of (a stream, river, or the like).
Buildingto tamp, plug, or make tight, as a hole or joint.
Sport[Skiing.]to maneuver (a ski or skis) in executing a stem.
to stanch (bleeding).
v.i.
Sport[Skiing.]to execute a stem.
n.
Sport[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.
Old Norse stemma to dam or Middle Low German stemmen
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
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 element Compareroot19
the main, usually vertical, stroke of a letter or of a musical note such as a minim
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)
(stems, stemming, stemmed)
(intransitive) usually followed byfrom: to be derived; originate: the instability stems from the war
(transitive)to make headway against (a tide, wind, etc)
(transitive)to remove or disengage the stem or stems from
(transitive)to supply (something) with a stem or stems
Etymology: Old English stemn; related to Old Norse stafn stem of a ship, German Stamm tribe, Gothic stōma basis, Latin stāmen threadˈstemˌlike
stem/stɛm/ (stems, stemming, stemmed)
(transitive)to restrain or stop (the flow of something) by or as if by damming up
(transitive)to pack tightly or stop up
to manoeuvre (a ski or skis), as in performing a stem
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
Etymology: 15th Century stemmen, from Old Norse stemma; related to Old Norse stamr blocked, stammering, German stemmen to prop; see stammer
die Stem/di/ ⇒ the South African national anthem until 1991, when part of it was incorporated into the current anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika SeeNkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Etymology: 19th Century: from Afrikaans, the call
'stem leaf' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):