gem

1 of 3

noun

1
a
: jewel
b
: a precious or sometimes semiprecious stone cut and polished for ornament
2
a
: something prized especially for great beauty or perfection
b
: a highly prized or well-beloved person
3
: muffin

gem

2 of 3

verb

gemmed; gemming

transitive verb

: to adorn with or as if with gems

GEM

3 of 3

abbreviation

ground-effect machine

Examples of gem in a Sentence

Noun The house is a gem of colonial architecture. He pitched a gem of a game. Her most recent novel is a real gem.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Ray of Light' (1998) Another huge artistic stride, this single was seen as Madonna reclaiming her spot on the front lines of the dance-pop revolution, bringing in producer William Orbit for a clattering gem of a track with elements of techno, trance and electronic dance. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 Quindlen, our first lady of motherhood, has written herself out of the center of this quietly revelatory and gently gleaming gem of a book. Catherine Newman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 The British Museum recovered hundreds of engraved gems and other items of jewelry that museum officials say a former curator stole. Laura Cappelle, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 This watch is without gems or stones, any different features than a Nautilus, and instead allows the robin’s egg blue to do all the talking. Rebecca Suhrawardi, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 At every turn, eateries are dubbed the crown jewel or the hidden gem of a city. Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Vaz turned in a web gem against the Los Angeles Angels on February 25. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Greenville, South Carolina Once a hidden gem destination, Greenville has officially risen the ranks to become one of the region's favorite cities. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 From the team behind Treasure Island gem, Mersea, and iconic San Francisco Embarcadero restaurants EPIC Steak and Waterbar, Hurrica is Redwood City’s newest water front dining destination. Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
Consider this Tata Harper gem the fountain of youth in oil form. Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 29 Nov. 2022 Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have also laid claim to gem as well, which was the possession of many rulers, including India’s Mughal emperors, before coming into the hands of the British monarchy. Niha Masih, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2022 Will Pacific Northwest gem Seattle rank No. 1 or will the elite mountain town of Boulder, Colo., take the top spot? Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2022 This annual celebration of natural wine and pizza, held in the spacious garden behind Park View gem Sonny’s, is a chance to try pairing a wide variety of organic and natural wines and ciders with New York-style slices, while listening to a DJ. Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2020 Other options include having a piece of jewelry entirely stone set or partially gem set, depending on the piece. Roberta Naas, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021 Enjoy the historic downtown, which is home to artisanal preserves gem American Spoon, former Hemingway haunt Stafford's Perry Hotel, and upscale kitchen and bar Pour. Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2021 An old-fashioned beefsteak tomato meets kewpie mayo, smoked bacon, and gem lettuce. Nick Rallo, Dallas News, 2 July 2021 The massive watch, jewelry and gem trade show that had been operating since 1917 died a slow and painful death in 2020 with the exit of key brands, including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Swatch Group and LVMH brands. Carol Besler, Forbes, 23 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gem.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gemme, from Anglo-French, from Latin gemma bud, gem

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1610, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gem was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gem

Cite this Entry

“Gem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gem. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gem

noun
ˈjem
1
b
: a usually valuable stone cut and polished for ornament
2
: something prized as being beautiful or perfect
gem verb

More from Merriam-Webster on gem

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