n.
Pronunciation: ' ste-m ə
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural stem · ma · ta \ -m ə -t ə \
Etymology: Latin, wreath, pedigree (fr. 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- ' ma-tik, st ə - \ adjective