a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
"The jeweler carefully set the rare blue gem into the gold ring."
A precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.
"The GEM flight test revealed new possibilities for ground-effect machines in coastal transport."
A native or resident of the American state of Idaho.
Initialism of ground-effect machine.
In plain English: It's an airplane that skims just above the water.
"The race car's gem allowed it to hug the track at incredible speeds."
Usage: Use the noun form to describe valuable stones like diamonds and rubies that are often set in jewelry. As a verb, it means to decorate something so lavishly that it appears covered in these precious materials.
To adorn with, or as if with, gems.
"The ancient crown was said to have been gemmed with thousands of tiny sapphires and emeralds."
In plain English: To gem means to decorate something with jewels.
"The designer planned to gem the wedding gown with delicate crystals."
A ghost town in California.
"The little girl named after her grandmother was affectionately called Gem by everyone in the family."
A diminutive of the female given name Gemma.
The word "gem" comes from the Latin gemma, which originally meant a swelling bud or a jewel. It entered English through Middle English and Old French before becoming part of modern usage.