stem

noun · verb · STEM noun

STEM/stɛm/

Pluralstems, STEMs

Verbstems, stemming, stemmed

27 meanings of stem

Practice

1
nouncountable
The long thin part of a plant growing from the roots, or the small stalk holding a leaf, flower, or fruit.
Cut the stems of the flowers before you put them in water.
The apple still had a small stem on top.
Similarstalk, trunk
Note
2
verbintransitive
To come from or be caused by something. Also, to be descended from a family or ancestor.
Many of his money problems stem from one bad loan.
Her fear of dogs stems from a bite when she was little.
UsageSay it stems from something (not ~~incorrect: is stemmed from~~).
Similararise, originate, derive, spring, result
3
science subjectsnoun · STEMuncountableacronym
Short for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as one group of school subjects and jobs.
My sister wants a job in STEM after college.
Our school started a STEM club for girls.
UsageWrite it in capitals: STEM subjects, a job in STEM.
4
stop flowverbtransitive
To stop something from flowing, or slow it down, like a river or blood.
Workers piled sandbags along the bank to stem the rising river.
She held a tissue to her nose to stem the blood.
UsageUse it with things that flow: stem the bleeding, stem the flow of money.
Similarstop, staunch, check, curb, halt
Note
5
nouncountable
The thin part of some objects, like a wine glass, a pipe, or a spoon.
Hold the glass by its stem so your hand doesn't warm the wine.
The stem of this old spoon is bent.
6
word basenouncountable
The main part of a word that endings are added to, to make its other forms.
In the word walked, the stem is walk.
Some Spanish verbs change their stems in the present tense.
Similarbase
Note
7
handlebar postnouncountable
The part of a bike that joins the handlebars to the fork that holds the front wheel.
He put a shorter stem on his bike so the handlebars were closer.
Tighten the bolts on the stem before you ride.
Note

Less common meanings

8
remove stalksverbtransitive
To take the stem off something, like a cherry or a leaf.
Can you stem the strawberries while I wash the bowl?
Grandma stemmed a big bowl of cherries for the pie.
9
audio tracknouncountable
A part of a song that is already mixed and kept separate, so it can be changed or remixed.
The band shared the stems so fans could make their own remixes.
The vocal stem was too quiet, so she turned it up.
Note
10
trunk (anatomy)nouncountable
A part of the body seen on its own, without the smaller parts that branch off it.
This nerve has a short stem that splits into two thinner branches.
A hard fall can hurt the brain stem, which controls breathing.
Similartrunk
Note
11
music note linenouncountable
The thin up-and-down line on a written music note that shows how long to play it.
A half note has an open head and a stem.
Draw the stems up on the low notes and down on the high ones.
Similartail
Note
12
letter strokenouncountable
A straight up-and-down line that is part of a letter.
The letter H has two stems joined by a short line.
In this font, the stem of the small d is very thin.
Note
13
watch windernounUScountable
The part you turn to wind a watch or clock.
Grandpa turns the stem of his watch every morning to wind it.
The stem on my old watch is stiff, so it is hard to wind.
14
skiingverbintransitive
In skiing, to spread your feet and point the front of your skis inward to slow down or turn.
New skiers learn to stem before they try faster turns.
She stemmed hard as the slope got steeper.
Note
15
rock climbingverbintransitive
In rock climbing, to spread your legs wide and push each foot against a different wall of rock.
When your arms get tired, stem and rest your weight on your feet.
She stemmed up the narrow gap between the two rocks.
Similarbridge
16
nouncountable
The front end of a ship or boat, or the upright beam at the front that the sides are joined to.
We cleaned the boat from stem to stern.
Waves crashed against the stem as the boat headed out to sea.
UsageOften in from stem to stern: from the front to the back.
Similarbow, prow
Oppositestern
Note
17
sail againstverbtransitive
To point a ship's front into something, or to move forward against it.
The boat stemmed the strong current and slowly moved upriver.
The captain turned the ship to stem the big waves head-on.
Note
18
drug pipenounslangcountable
A pipe used to smoke the drug crack, or the long tube of a pipe like it.
Police found a stem and a lighter under the car seat.
He told the counselor he had thrown away his last stem.
Similarpipe
19
legnounslangcountable
A person's leg, usually said as stems for both legs.
Those running shorts really show off your stems.
The tall model had stems that seemed to go on forever.
Similarleg, pin
20
nouncountable
A family's line of ancestors, or one branch of a family.
Our family split into two branches that grew from one stem in Ireland.
The family's stem goes back to a Scottish weaver.
Similarline, lineage, stock, ancestry, descent
Note
21
noun
A line of living things just outside a group, but more closely related to it than to anything else.
22
nounslang
A penis.
Waves of ecstasy roll through him as the moustachioed Casanova slides his stem in and out of the spaced-out chick.
2005, Eric Bogosian, Wasted Beauty
23
noun
Acronym of scanning transmission electron microscope. A very powerful kind of microscope.
24
verb
To push clay or similar stuff hard into a hole made for explosives.
25
noun
A leading place, or the place where someone keeps watch.
26
verbobsolete
To run a boat's front end into something.
27
nounobsolete
An old spelling of steem, meaning a flash of light or a flame.

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

From Old English stemn. It goes back to an old root meaning "to stand".

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

English stem derives from Old English stemn. en.wiktionary.org
The word ultimately derives from an ancient root meaning “to stand”. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 4, 14–15

From an Old Norse word meaning "to stop" or "to dam".

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

This verb derives from Old Norse. en.wiktionary.org
The Old Norse source word meant to stop or dam. en.wiktionary.org