gem en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /d͡ʒɪm/ (pin-pen-merger)
- (US) audio
- /d͡ʒɛm/
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English gemme, gimme, yimme, ȝimme, from Old English ġimm, from Proto-West Germanic *gimmu (“gem”) and Old French gemme (“gem”), both from Latin gemma (“a swelling bud; jewel, gem”). Doublet of gemma and Gemma.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.
Of six preceding ancestors, that gem, Conferr’d by testament to the sequent issue, Hath it been owed and worn. This is his wife; That ring’s a thousand proofs.
c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:And on her head she wore a tyre of gold, Adornd with gemmes and owches wondrous fayre, Whose passing price vneath was to be told;
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 144:[…] then silent Night With this her solemn Bird and this fair Moon, And these the Gemms of Heav’n, her starrie train:
1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 647-649:Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are diamond, ruby and sapphire, emerald and other gem forms of the mineral beryl, chrysoberyl, tanzanite, tsavorite, topaz and jade.
2012 March 14, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2012, page 128:
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(countable, figuratively, uncountable) Any precious or highly valued thing or person.
She's an absolute gem.
Miller and Mars scoured lower Manhattan and Brooklyn for a brownstone that would meet their needs, but it wasn't until they discovered a gem nestled on a quiet Upper West Side block that they knew they'd found the one.
2026 May 14, Lola Ogunnaike, “Major Drama”, in Architectural Digest, volume 83, number 4, page 112:Standout “Hidden Knives” is the kind of new wave-leaning punk gem John Hughes would’ve loved, while “So Beneath You” is a teeth-baring, roiling tune.
2017 January 20, Annie Zaleski, “AFI sounds refreshed and rejuvenated on its 10th album, AFI (The Blood Album)”, in The Onion AV Club:
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(broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable) Any precious or highly valued thing or person. ▸ Anything of small size, or expressed within brief limits, which is regarded as a gem on account of its beauty or value, such as a small picture, a verse of poetry, or an epigram.
a gem of wit
- (Internet, broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable) Any precious or highly valued thing or person. ▸ Internet content of good quality.
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A gemma or leaf bud.
Among the crooked Lanes, on every Hedge, / The Glow-Worm lights his Gem […].
a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:c. 1668, John Denham (translator), Of Old Age by Cato the Elder, Part 3, in Poems and Translations, with The Sophy, London: H. Herringman, 4th edition, 1773, p. 35, Then from the Joynts of thy prolifick Stemm A swelling Knot is raised (call’d a Gemm)
1803, John Browne Cutting, “A Succinct History of Jamaica” in Robert Charles Dallas, The History of the Maroons, London: Longman and Rees, Volume 1, p. xcii, In about twelve days the sprouts from the gems of the planted cane are seen […]
- (countable, uncountable) A geometrid moth of the species Orthonama obstipata.
- (countable, uncountable) A package containing programs or libraries for the Ruby programming language.
- (obsolete, uncommon, uncountable) A size of type between brilliant (4-point) and diamond (4½-point), running 222 lines to the foot.
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(countable, uncountable) A strong, dominating pitching performance.
2025, Associated Press, Crochet gets 1st career shutout and complete game as Red Sox beat Rays for 9th straight win by Associated Press, He didn’t walk a batter in his 100-pitch gem
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gems | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
gemology · gemmer · mountaingem · begem · gemsetter · gem-faced civet · gemwork · gemstone · gemless · gem-diol · gemerald · Gem County · gemcutter · Gem State · gemmy · cardinal gem · gem-hydrogenation · gemlike · gemsmith · gem-cutter · gemmery · gem-diolate · gem squash · iced gem · Zanzibar gem · gemfish · gem tree · gemwright · gem-disubstituent effect · gem cutter · gemsetting · hidden gem · gem clip · gemsona
Synonyms
jewel · gemstone (precious stone) · precious stone
Translations (149)
uga 𐎑𐎅𐎗 (precious stone) · it pietra preziosa (precious stone) · it gemma (precious stone) · sv ädelsten (precious stone) · sh dragulj (precious stone) · lo ມະນີ (precious stone) · ps غمی (precious or highly valued thing or person) · uz gavhar (precious stone) · pt gema (precious stone) · el διαμάντι (precious or highly valued thing or person) · pl klejnot (precious stone) · de Edelstein (precious stone) · be кашто́ўны ка́мень (precious stone) · arz جوهرة (precious stone) · hy թանկարժեք քար (precious stone) · gd neamhnaid (precious stone) · mr रत्न (precious stone) · sw johari (precious or highly valued thing or person) · gl xema (precious stone) · bo ཕྲ (precious stone) · de Kleinod (precious stone) · es alhaja (precious stone) · pl skarb (precious or highly valued thing or person) · lo ພອຍ (precious stone) · ko 주옥 (precious or highly valued thing or person) · el πετράδι (precious stone) · de Juwel (precious stone) · ps غمی (precious stone) · arz فص (precious stone) · pt pérola (precious or highly valued thing or person) · km ត្បូង (precious stone) · is gimsteinn (precious stone) · cs klenot (precious stone) · kix chài-ùlòng (precious stone) · pl kamień szlachetny (precious stone) · sw johari (precious stone) · nn edelstein (precious stone) · nl edelsteen (precious stone) · ms jauhar (precious stone) · th พลอย (precious stone) · ur گَوہر (precious stone) · id permata (precious stone) · alt кыймат баалу таш (precious stone) · el πολύτιμος λίθος (precious stone) · ka განძი (precious or highly valued thing or person) · ro gemă (precious stone) · mdh imu na babay (precious stone) · th รัตน์ (precious stone) · bg съкровище (precious or highly valued thing or person) · uk кошто́вний ка́мінь (precious stone) · gd neamhnaid (precious or highly valued thing or person) · ru драгоце́нность (precious or highly valued thing or person) · ko 보석 (precious stone) · lt brangakmenis (precious stone) · it chicca (precious or highly valued thing or person) · nb edelsten (precious stone) · eo gemo (precious stone) · km មណី (precious stone) · la gemma (precious stone) · lv dārgakmens (precious stone) · xcl ակն (precious stone) · hi मणि (precious stone) · ru жемчу́жина (precious or highly valued thing or person) · ka მარგალიტი (precious or highly valued thing or person) · cmn 玉 (precious stone) · uk самоцві́т (precious stone) · el κόσμημα (precious or highly valued thing or person) · fr joyau (precious stone) · lo ຣະຕະນະ (precious stone) · ca gemma (precious stone) · hi पत्थर (precious stone) · yi אבֿן־טובֿ (precious stone) · tsg bidduri (precious stone) · arz ماسة (precious stone) · sa रत्न (precious stone) · pt pedra preciosa (precious stone) · hi रत्न (precious stone) · ka პატიოსანი თვალი (precious stone) · hu drágakő (precious stone) · ru самоцве́т (precious stone) · fr pierre précieuse (precious stone) · pl klejnot (precious or highly valued thing or person) · da ædelsten (precious stone) · cmn 寶石 /宝石 (precious stone) · bg скъпоце́нен ка́мък (precious stone) · ar جَوْهَر (precious stone) · fr oiseau rare (precious or highly valued thing or person) · vi đá quý (precious stone) · tr mücevher (precious stone) · mk скапоцен камен (precious stone) · et kalliskivi (precious stone) · sv juvel (precious stone) · ro piatră prețioasă (precious stone) · es primor (precious or highly valued thing or person) · ar جَوْهَرَة (precious stone) · my ရတနာ (precious stone) · sk klenot (precious stone) · ru драгоце́нный ка́мень (precious stone) · da perle (precious or highly valued thing or person) · lmo gema (precious stone) · mrw montiaq (precious stone) · fa گوهر (precious stone) · cy gem (precious stone) · tg гавҳар (precious stone) · ro nestemată (precious stone) · hu ékkő (precious stone) · txb prāp (precious stone) · nb edelstein (precious stone) · th จินดา (precious stone) · hy գոհար (precious stone) · ja 珠玉 (precious or highly valued thing or person) · tsg palmata (precious stone) · ka ძვირფასეულობა (precious or highly valued thing or person) · he אֶבֶן יְקָרָה (precious stone) · ms permata (precious stone) · ur جوہر (precious stone) · arz حجر كريم (precious stone) · ota جوهر (precious stone) · fo gimsteinur (precious stone) · ka ძვირფასი ქვა (precious stone) · es gema (precious stone) · uk дорогоці́нний ка́мінь (precious stone) · it perla (precious or highly valued thing or person) · grc λίθος πολυτελής (precious stone) · sk drahokam (precious stone) · ja 宝石 (precious stone) · sh драгуљ (precious stone) · cs drahokam (precious stone) · sa मणि (precious stone) · uz javohir (precious stone) · sl dragulj (precious stone) · ga seoid (precious stone) · eu harribitxi (precious stone) · ka ფერადი ქვა (precious stone) · it gemma (precious or highly valued thing or person) · be самацве́т (precious stone) · io juvelo (precious stone) · txb naumiye (precious stone) · alt сӱреен баалу таш (precious stone) · hy ակ (precious stone) · ang ġimm (precious stone) · pl perła (precious or highly valued thing or person) · sv guldklimp (precious or highly valued thing or person) · eo juvelo (precious stone) · fi jalokivi (precious stone) · txb wamer (precious stone) · alt јалтырууш таш (precious stone) · af edelsteen (precious stone) · fr merle blanc (precious or highly valued thing or person)