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stem

noun · verb · STEM noun
STEM/stɛm/

Pluralstems, STEMs

Verbstems, stemming, stemmed

27 meanings of stem

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    The main stalk of a plant above ground, or a slender stalk joining a leaf, flower, or fruit to it; in botany also underground parts such as rhizomes, bulbs, and tubers.

    She trimmed the stems of the roses before putting them in a vase.

    Hold the flower by its stem so you don't crush the petals.

    Similarstalk, trunk

    Note

    Botany defines a stem by its structure rather than by where it grows, which is why a tuber, a bulb or a creeping rhizome counts as one though it lies underground. A tree's trunk is its stem too, and older writing says so plainly: Edgar Rice Burroughs's The Return of Tarzan rests a woman against “the stem of a huge tree”.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 6 facts

    • Botanical stems are identified by structural features regardless of whether they grow above or below ground. openstax.org
    • Tubers, bulbs and rhizomes can be underground stems. extension.oregonstate.edu
    • A tree's trunk is its stem. extension.oregonstate.edu
    • Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote The Return of Tarzan. gutenberg.org
    • The first book edition appeared in 1915; 1913 is the year of its magazine serialization. en.wikipedia.org
    • The novel's narration describes a woman resting against a tree using the exact phrase quoted. gutenberg.org
  2. 2
    verbintransitive
    To come from a particular source, originate in it, or be caused by it. Of a person or family, to be descended from an ancestor or line. Usually followed by 'from'.

    Most complaints stem from shipping delays rather than from the products themselves.

    The dispute stemmed from a misunderstanding over the terms of the lease.

    UsageUsed in the active: the dispute stemmed from a misunderstanding (not incorrect: was stemmed from).

    Similararise, originate, derive, spring, result

  3. 3
    science subjectsnoun · STEMuncountableacronym
    Short for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: these fields taken together as an area of study, teaching, or work.

    She left a career in law to retrain in STEM.

    The district hired three new teachers to strengthen its STEM program.

    UsageUsually written in capitals and often before another noun: STEM subjects, STEM education. People study or work in STEM.

  4. 4
    stop flowverbtransitive
    To stop or hold back something, such as the flow of a river or of blood.

    The nurse pressed a folded towel against the wound to stem the bleeding.

    The new rules did little to stem the flow of money out of the country.

    UsageTakes things that flow as its object: stem the bleeding, stem the tide. Don't confuse it with stem from, meaning to come from.

    Similarstop, staunch, check, curb, halt

    Note

    Pope's An Essay on Criticism (1711) already uses it figuratively: “Stemm'd the wild torrent of a barb'rous age.”

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

  5. 5
    nouncountable
    The long, slender part of certain objects, such as the stalk joining a wine glass's bowl to its foot, the tube of a tobacco pipe, or a spoon's handle.

    He clamped the stem of his briar pipe between his teeth and struck a match.

    Glasses with long stems keep warm fingers away from chilled white wine.

  6. 6
    word basenouncountable
    The main part of a word, without inflections, to which affixes are added to form its inflected forms; it often contains a more basic root.

    To form the past tense, add -ed to the stem, so that walk becomes walked.

    Third-declension Latin nouns often hide their stem in the nominative, so students learn the genitive to find it.

    Similarbase

    Note

    Grammarians keep the stem apart from the root. The root is the bare core of meaning; the stem is whatever an inflection attaches to, so it may already carry a suffix. In teachers the root is teach, the stem teacher and -s the inflection, and whole conjugations and declensions are built on stems.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

    • Grammatical analysis distinguishes roots from stems, and a root is the irreducible meaningful core. en.wikipedia.org
    • A stem is the base used to form inflected variants. en.wikipedia.org
    • A stem may already contain a suffix. gutenberg.org
    • In teachers, teach is the root, teacher the stem, and -s the plural inflection. bpb-us-e2.wpmucdn.com
    • Stems provide the bases for conjugations and declensions. gutenberg.org
  7. 7
    handlebar postnouncountable
    The part of a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the fork.

    A shorter stem brings the handlebars closer to the rider and quickens the steering.

    The mechanic loosened the stem bolts and lined the handlebars up with the front wheel.

    Note

    Riders choose a stem by its length and angle, and swapping one is the usual way to change how far they reach and how upright they sit. Older bicycles use a quill stem that slides down inside the fork's steerer tube; newer designs clamp around the outside of it.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 7 facts

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of stem apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 5–13, 16–20

The word goes back ultimately to Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ("to stand, stay"), which led to Proto-Germanic *stamniz and Proto-West Germanic *stamni. These gave Old English stemn, which appeared in Middle English as stem, stemme, stempne, or stevin.

Meanings 4, 14–15

From Middle English stemmen, borrowed from Old Norse stemma ("to stop, stem, dam"), from Proto-Germanic *stammijaną; compare Danish stemme/stæmme ("to stem, dam up"). It is cognate with German stemmen and Middle Dutch stemmen, stempen; compare stammer.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 6 facts