stem

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Derived terms 1.2.1.2 Translations 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Verb 1.3.1.1 Synonyms 1.3.1.2 Translations 1.4 External links 2 Dutch 2.1 Pronunciation 2.2 Noun 2.3 Verb

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: stĕm, IPA: /stɛm/, SAMPA: /stEm/

  Rhymes:-ɛm

[edit] Etymology 1

Old English stemn, stefn (“‘stem, trunk (of a tree)’”), from Proto-Germanic *stamniz.

[edit] Noun

stem (plural stems)

1. (botany) The above-ground stalk (technically axis) of a vascular plant, and certain anatomically similar, below-ground organs such as rhizomes, bulbs, tubers, and corms.
2. A slender supporting member of an individual part of a plant such as a flower or a leaf; also, by analogue the shaft of a feather.
3. A narrow part on certain man-made objects, such as a wine glass, a tobacco pipe, a spoon.
4. (linguistics) The main part of an uninflected word to which endings may be added to form inflections of the word.
5. (typography) A vertical stroke of a letter.
6. (music) A vertical stroke of a symbol representing a note in written music.
7. (nautical) The vertical or nearly vertical forward extension of the keel, to which the forward ends of the planks or strakes are attached.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 2

< Middle English stemmen < Old Norse stemma (“‘to stop, stem, dam’”) ( > Danish stemme/stæmme (“‘to stem, dam up’”)), cognate with German stemmen; see stammer.

[edit] Verb

to stem (third-person singular simple present stems, present participle stemming, simple past and past participle stemmed)

1. To descend in a family line.
2. To be caused or derived; to originate.

   The current crisis stems from the short-sighted politics of the previous government.

3. To take out the stem from something.
4. To stop, hinder (for instance, a river or blood).
   • stem a tide
5. (skiing) To move the feet apart and point the tips of the skis inward in order to slow down the speed or to facilitate a turn.

[edit] Synonyms

• (to originate, stem from): to be due to, to arise from
• See also Wikisaurus:hinder

[edit] Translations

[edit] External links

• stem in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• stem in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• “stem” in the Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001

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[edit] Dutch

[edit] Pronunciation

•  audio^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

stem f. and m. (plural stemmen, diminutive stemmetje)

1. voice

[edit] Verb

stem

1. The first-person singular present tense of stemmen.
2. The imperative of stemmen.