stem en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /stem/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- (US) audio
- /stɛm/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /stɪm/ (US, pin-pen-merger)
- stĕm
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *stéh₂mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *sth₂mnís Proto-Germanic *stamniz Proto-West Germanic *stamni Old English stemn Middle English stemme English stem From Middle English stem, stemme, stempne, stevin, from Old English stemn (“stem”), from Proto-West Germanic *stamni, from Proto-Germanic *stamniz (“stem, tree stalk”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand, stay”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch stam (“stem”), German Stamm (“stem”), Danish and Norwegian stamme (“stem”), Danish stavn, stævn (“stem of a boat”), Faroese stavnur (“stem of a boat”), stovnur (“institution, public body, foundation, basis”), Icelandic stafn (“stem of a boat”), stofn (“trunk, stock, livestock, stem”), Norn stomna, stimna (“strength, ability”), Swedish stäm (“tree trunk, stem”), stäv (“stem of a boat”), stomme (“frame, structure”), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍉𐌼𐌰 (stōma, “substantial grounds, just cause”), Asturian estame (“stamen”), Aragonese estambre (“stamen”), Catalan estam (“stamen”), French étaim (“yarn”), Galician estame (“stamen, yarn”), Italian stame (“stamen”), Portuguese estame (“stem, yarn”), Spanish Spanish estambre (“stamen, a type of yarn”), Latin stāmen (“warp of a loom, thread hanging from a distaff”), Ancient Greek στῆμα (stêma, “stamen of a flower”), στάμνος (stámnos, “earthen jar, bottle for racking off wine”), Albanian shtamë (“pot, jar, pitcher, jug”), Sanskrit स्थामन् (sthā́man, “place, strength”). Doublet of stamen. Not related to English stoma, which is a Greek loan inherited through New Latin.
Meanings
-
The stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors.
Where ye may all that are of noble ſtemm / Approach, and kiſs her ſacred veſtures hemm.
1634, John Milton, “Arcades”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, page 55:While I do pray, learn here thy stem / And true descent.
1633, George Herbert, Church Monuments:
-
A branch of a family.
This is a stem / Of that victorious stock.
1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:
- A branch of a family. ▸ A branch, or group of branches, located outside a family or other cladistic group, but which is more closely related to that group than to any other taxon of the same rank.
-
An advanced or leading position; the lookout.
Wolsey sat at the stem more than twenty years.
1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
-
The above-ground stalk (technically axis) of a vascular plant, and certain anatomically similar, below-ground organs such as rhizomes, bulbs, tubers, and corms.
He had placed her upon the grass by now, her back resting against the stem of a huge tree. At her question he stepped back where he could the better see her face.
1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 212:After they are shot up thirty feet in length, they spread a very large top, having no bough nor twig in the trunk or the stem.
1736, Sir Walter Raleigh, The History of the World in Five Books:
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A slender supporting member of an individual part of a plant such as a flower or a leaf; also, by analogy, the shaft of a feather.
the stem of an apple or a cherry
Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.
2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, pages 206–7:
- A narrow part on certain man-made objects, such as a wine glass, a tobacco pipe, a spoon.
-
The main part of an uninflected word to which affixes may be added to form inflections of the word. A stem often has a more fundamental root. Systematic conjugations and declensions derive from their stems.
The praenomen and nomen for the most part consisted of simple stems with the suffix -us or -ius, which correspond to some of the contracted forms in other languages […].
1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiv:
-
(slang) A person's leg.
She was perfectly, fuckably proportioned everywhere else, both above and below her waist. A pocket-size Venus, with the longest stems he'd ever seen on someone so dang diminutive.
2008, Lori Wilde, Rhonda Nelson, Cara Summers, August Harlequin Blaze:
-
(slang) The penis.
Waves of ecstasy roll through him as the moustachioed Casanova slides his stem in and out of the spaced-out chick.
2005, Eric Bogosian, Wasted Beauty, page 135:
- A vertical stroke of a letter.
- A vertical stroke marking the length of a note in written music.
-
A premixed portion of a track for use in audio mastering and remixing.
Stem mastering processes a mix by breaking it down into several manageable pieces—that is, stereo stems. The stem approach allows the mastering engineer the opportunity to make larger or smaller changes to separate mix elements before the final compression and limiting are applied to the complete mix.
2019, Karl Pedersen, Mark Grimshaw-Aagaard, The Recording, Mixing, and Mastering Reference Handbook, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 268:
- (qualifier:precisely) The vertical or nearly vertical forward extension of the keel, to which the forward ends of the planks or strakes are attached.
-
(broadly) The front part of a vessel.
from stem to stern
Both we will walke vpon the loftie cliffes, And Chriſtian Merchants that with Ruſſian ſtems Plow vp huge furrowes in the Caſpian ſea, Shall vaile to vs, as Lords of al the Lake.
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
- A component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork.
- A part of an anatomic structure considered without its possible branches or ramifications.
- (slang) A crack pipe; or the long, hollow portion of a similar pipe (i.e. meth pipe) resembling a crack pipe.
- (UK) A winder on a clock, watch, or similar mechanism.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| stems | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
stemflow · stemline · nonstem · i-stem · unstemmable · oblique stem · flower stem · stem-clasping · vinestem · stemhead · stemmery · stemmer · bluestem · stem duchy · stem to stern · ringstem · consonant stem · D-stem · mainstem · straw stem · pseudostem · bestem · celestial stem · stembark · a-stem · stem and leaf · stemwinder · stemware · stem siren · stem group · destem · stemless · stem-winder · redstem · stem node · G-stem · stemness · heavenly stem · wirestem · stemlike · stemwards · stem for stem · substem · stemplot · brain stem · stem-loop · Mach stem · stemward · stem-and-leaf · brittlestem · screwstem · macrostem · stem the tide · stem-changing verb · give the stem · unstemmed · stem lettuce · the apple does not fall far from the stem · o-stem · stem family · multistem · stempost · stem the rose · pipestem · restem · stemmy · stemlet · stem borer · stem cell · stem mammal · question stem · stem ginger · softstem bulrush · u-stem · tenderstem · stem stitch · Š-stem · wire stem
Synonyms
prore · tail · prow · forestem · fore · beak · virgula · bow
Translations (288)
lv stumbrs (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · el κοτσάνι (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · pt radical (linguistics: main part of a word) · cmn 樹幹 /树干 (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · de Sprossachse (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · it ramo (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · it asta (music: vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music) · pl ogonek (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · da stævn (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · oc raiç (linguistics: main part of a word) · hu szár (typography: vertical stroke of a letter) · id kata dasar (linguistics: main part of a word) · hu szár (music: vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music) · bg дръ́жка (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · az nəsil (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · fi sukujuuri (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · lt stiebas (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · et tüvi (linguistics: main part of a word) · da stamme (linguistics: main part of a word) · lv stiebrs (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · it vertice (advanced or leading position) · be ствол (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · da stængel (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · mk страк (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · mn сүрэл (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · hu szár (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ota صاپ (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ro trunchi (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ru цветоно́жка (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · it ceppo (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ko 경 (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fi haara (branch of a family) · ro temă (linguistics: main part of a word) · xmf ღერი (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · es tallo (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · sv stjälk (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · vi thân (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · eu zurtoin (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · gl roda (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · fi runko (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · es roda (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · mk стебло (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · tr gövde (linguistics: main part of a word) · it stelo (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · az soy (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · it ruota di prua (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · ca tija (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · uz negiz (linguistics: main part of a word) · th ก้าน (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · it dritto di prua (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · hy ցողուն (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · pt caule (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · mi kakau (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · nci quiyōtl (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · txb pere (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ja 軸 (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · it picciolo (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · ro peduncul (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · pt haste (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · sv stam (linguistics: main part of a word) · sv stäv (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · it fusto (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · it linea di discendenza (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · ota اوزدك (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · str SȾESTASEs (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · bg форщевен (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · ru нос (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · fi kukkavana (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · sk koreň (linguistics: main part of a word) · es potencia (Component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork) · mi tā (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · de Vordersteven (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · ja 語幹 (linguistics: main part of a word) · fr étrave (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · it tema (linguistics: main part of a word) · ota صاپ (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · uk осно́ва (linguistics: main part of a word) · ja 幹 (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fi lehtiruoti (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · de Stängel (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · nn framstamn (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · nrf êtâne (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · ru плодоно́жка (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · de Steven (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · cy bôn (linguistics: main part of a word) · hu ág (branch of a family) · be ко́рань (linguistics: main part of a word) · hu eredet (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · ca roda (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · fi steevi (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · be род (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · mi tōtō (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fa ساقه (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · de Stamm (linguistics: main part of a word) · bg дръ́жка (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · bg род (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · lzz ღერი (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ru форште́вень (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · oc tija (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · hu szár (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · hu nyél (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · pdt Staum (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fa ستاک (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · mi tātā (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · hu szótő (linguistics: main part of a word) · fi ruoto (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · uk рід (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · ro coadă (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · sk prova (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · pl rdzeń (linguistics: main part of a word) · br pennrann (linguistics: main part of a word) · hu kocsány (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · is stefni (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · ia stirpe (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · bg стрък (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · de Notenhals (music: vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music) · ca arrel (linguistics: main part of a word) · it gambo (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · fa ستاک (linguistics: main part of a word) · km មូលសព្ទ (linguistics: main part of a word) · uk ко́рінь (linguistics: main part of a word) · it peduncolo (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · it tagliamare (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · de Stamm (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · fi kukkavarsi (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · ru ствол (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · az qol (branch of a family) · fi jalka (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · sv förstäv (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · eo radikalo (linguistics: main part of a word) · id stem (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · id tangkai not (music: vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music) · eo spiktrunko (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · sw shina (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · lv celms (linguistics: main part of a word) · ar سَاق نَبَات (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fr potence (Component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork) · pl badyl (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · sv stjälk (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · sl osnova (linguistics: main part of a word) · tl punungtangkay (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · nb stengel (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ne डाँठ (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · nl grondwoord (linguistics: main part of a word) · de Wortstamm (linguistics: main part of a word) · nl stuurpen (Component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork) · sv notskaft (music: vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music) · hu nemzetség (branch of a family) · ru сте́бель (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fr tige (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · mhr муттӱҥ (linguistics: main part of a word) · hy հիմք (linguistics: main part of a word) · fr tige (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · eo stamo (linguistics: main part of a word) · it gamba (music: vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music) · mi kākaka (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · mba poon (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · de Herkunft (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · mk дршка (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · nn stengel (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · de Stamm (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ja 茎 (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · la stirps (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · de Seitenlinie (branch of a family) · nl stam (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · hu származás (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · nds Steel (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · el μίσχος (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · de Vorsteven (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · ja 茎 (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · yi שטאַם (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ru род (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · fr racine (linguistics: main part of a word) · fi varsi (music: vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music) · izh sananpohja (linguistics: main part of a word) · fi kokkapuu (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · as ঠাৰি (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fo stevni (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · cmn 詞幹 /词干 (linguistics: main part of a word) · it linea (branch of a family) · he גִּבְעוֹל (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · nl voorsteven (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · it ceppo (branch of a family) · ka ღერო (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fi suku (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · sk stonka (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · hu szár (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · ro picior (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · lt kamienas (linguistics: main part of a word) · fi keulavannas (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · as ঠাৰি (linguistics: main part of a word) · fr radical (linguistics: main part of a word) · ja 柄 (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · ca tall (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · mk основа (linguistics: main part of a word) · hu hajóorr (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · uk стебло́ (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · pt talha-mar (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · pl cybuch (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · km ទង (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · mk дршка (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · es vástago (Component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork) · fi pystyviiva (typography: vertical stroke of a letter) · fi kirjainrunko (typography: vertical stroke of a letter) · nb stamme (linguistics: main part of a word) · fi ruoti (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · mi kakau (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · min batang (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fi vartalo (linguistics: main part of a word) · km ធាង (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · kmr qed (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ja 軸 (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · la caulis (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · mi tā (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · nl steel (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · mk дршка (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · el θέμα (linguistics: main part of a word) · gv arbyl (music: vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music) · fi johto (advanced or leading position) · fi varsi (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · pl stewa (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · az kök (linguistics: main part of a word) · es tija de manillar (Component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork) · grc καυλός (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ru сте́ржень (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · mk стебло (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · de Vorbau (Component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork) · nds Stamm (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · sh о̏снова (linguistics: main part of a word) · de Halm (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · hu orr (nautical: forward vertical extension of the keel) · fi vana (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · mww kav (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · sv ordstam (linguistics: main part of a word) · de Stiel (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · cs kmen (linguistics: main part of a word) · sh ȍsnova (linguistics: main part of a word) · de Zweig (branch of a family) · it radice (linguistics: main part of a word) · sv gren (branch of a family) · be асно́ва (linguistics: main part of a word) · bg ко́рен (linguistics: main part of a word) · nrf tigue (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ar أَصْل (linguistics: main part of a word) · it ramo (branch of a family) · de Holm (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · it stelo (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · pt ramo (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · it linea (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · sk steblo (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · es vástago (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · nl stam (linguistics: main part of a word) · nl stengel (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fi varsi (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fi ohjainkannatin (Component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork) · sva ღე̄რ (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · it ceppo (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · hu igető (linguistics: main part of a word) · de Geschlecht (stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors) · cs představec (Component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork) · th ก้าน (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · sh stabljika (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · de Stiel (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · bg стъбло́ (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · es raíz (linguistics: main part of a word) · it tronco (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · cmn 莖 /茎 (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · tr gövde (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ko 어간 (linguistics: main part of a word) · nds Stängel (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · ru но́жка (typography: vertical stroke of a letter) · lv stiebrs (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · it gambo (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · pl temat (linguistics: main part of a word) · ru осно́ва (linguistics: main part of a word) · it gambo (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · oc radical (linguistics: main part of a word) · ru черено́к (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · ro tulpină (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · fi sukuhaara (branch of a family) · az gövdə (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · nb stett (narrow supporting structure on certain man-made objects) · de Strunk (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · mi tātā (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant) · bbl ღერო̂ (botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant) · cmn 符桿 /符杆 (music: vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music) · hu tő (linguistics: main part of a word) · mk страк (slender supporting member for an individual part of a plant)