gem
English
/d͡ʒɛm/, /d͡ʒɪm/
noun
Definitions
- A precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.
- (figuratively) 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.
- (obsolete) A gemma or leaf-bud.
- A type of geometrid moth, Orthonama obstipata.
- (computing) A package containing programs or libraries for the Ruby programming language.
- (uncountable) A size of type between brilliant (4-point) and diamond (4½-point), running 222 lines to the foot.
Etymology
Derived from Middle English gemme derived from Old English gim derived from Old French gemme (gem) derived from Latin gemma (jewel, gem, bud, a swelling bud, a jewel).
Origin
Latin
gemma
Gloss
jewel, gem, bud, a swelling bud, a jewel
Concept
Semantic Field
Clothing and grooming
Ontological Category
Person/Thing
Kanji
玉, 珠
Emoji
💎
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- Gemma English
- begem English
- fish English
- gemfish English
- gemless English
- gemlike English
- gemmery English
- gemmily English
- gemminess English
- gemmotherapy English
- gemmy English
- gemological English
- gemologist English
- gemology English
- gemsetter English
- gemsetting English
- gemsmith English
- gemsona English
- gemstone English
- gemwright English
- mountain English
- mountaingem English
- setter English
- setting English
- smith English
- stone English
- wright English
- gemma Latin
- gemmarius Latin
- gemmeus Latin
- gemmifer Latin
- gemmula Latin
- Gemma Italian
- Gemma Spanish, Castilian
- yema Spanish, Castilian
- yemas Spanish, Castilian
- *gembʰ- Proto-Indo-European
- gim Old English
- gemme Middle English
- gimstone Middle English
- gemme Old French
- gemma Catalan, Valencian
- Gemma Tagalog
- *gimmu gmw-pro
- gema Old Portuguese
- yema Asturian