stem

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Contents

English [edit]

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Pronunciation [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

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

Noun [edit]

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 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.
  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.
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Verb [edit]

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

  1. To take out the stem from.
  2. To be caused or derived; to originate.
    The current crisis stems from the short-sighted politics of the previous government.
  3. To descend in a family line.
  4. To direct the stem (of a ship) against; to make headway against.
  5. (obsolete) To hit with the stem of a ship; to ram.
    • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.ii:
      As when two warlike Brigandines at sea, / With murdrous weapons arm'd to cruell fight, / Doe meete together on the watry lea, / They stemme ech other with so fell despight, / That with the shocke of their owne heedlesse might, / Their wooden ribs are shaken nigh a sonder [...].
Translations [edit]

Etymology 2 [edit]

From Old Norse stemma (to stop, stem, dam) ( > Danish stemme/stæmme (to stem, dam up)), from Proto-Germanic *stamjan. Cognate with German stemmen; compare stammer.

Verb [edit]

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

  1. To stop, hinder (for instance, a river or blood).
    to stem a tide
  2. (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.
Synonyms [edit]
Translations [edit]

Etymology 3 [edit]

Noun [edit]

stem (plural stems)

  1. Alternative form of steem.

External links [edit]

Anagrams [edit]


Dutch [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Old Dutch *stemma, from Proto-Germanic *stebnō, *stemnō.

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

stem f, m (plural stemmen, diminutive stemmetje)

  1. voice
  2. vote

Verb [edit]

stem

  1. first-person singular present indicative of stemmen
  2. imperative of stemmen

Anagrams [edit]


Latin [edit]

Verb [edit]

stem

  1. first-person singular present active subjunctive of stō
    1. "may I stand"
    2. "may I stay, may I remain"

Tok Pisin [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From English stamp.

Noun [edit]

stem

  1. stamp