Main Entry: stem·ma

Pronunciation: \ˈste-mə\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural stem·ma·ta \-mə-tə\

Etymology: Latin, wreath, pedigree (from the wreaths placed on ancestral images), from Greek, wreath, from stephein to crown, enwreathe

Date: 1826

1 : a simple eye present in some insects
2 : a scroll (as among the ancient Romans) containing a genealogical list
3 : a tree showing the relationships of the manuscripts of a literary work

— stem·mat·ic \ste-ˈma-tik, stə-\ adjective