noun
- a cut and polished precious stone or pearl fine enough for use in jewelry.
- something likened to or prized as such a stone because of its beauty or worth: His painting was the gem of the collection.
- a person held in great esteem or affection.
- muffin(def 1).
- British Printing. a 4-point type of a size between brilliant and diamond.
verb (used with object), gemmed, gemĀ·ming.
- to adorn with or as with gems; begem.
adjective
- Jewelry. noting perfection or very high quality: gem color; a gem ruby.
noun
- a precious or semiprecious stone used in jewellery as a decoration; jewel
- a person or thing held to be a perfect example; treasure
- a size of printer’s type, approximately equal to 4 point
- NZ a type of small sweet cake
verb gems, gemming or gemmed
- (tr) to set or ornament with gems
Old English gimm “precious stone, gem, jewel,” also “eye,” from Latin gemma “precious stone, jewel,” originally “bud,” perhaps from the root *gen- “to produce,” or from PIE *gembh- “tooth, nail.” Of persons, from late 13c. Forms in -i-, -y- were lost early 14c., and the modern form of the word probably representing a Middle English borrowing from Old French gemme (12c.). As a verb, from c.1600, “to adorn with gems;” mid-12c. as “to bud.”