STEM

n. & v. --n. 1 the main body or stalk of a plant or shrub, usu. rising into light, but occasionally subterranean. 2 the stalk supporting a fruit, flower, or leaf, and attaching it to a larger branch, twig, or stalk. 3 a stem-shaped part of an object: a the slender part of a wineglass between the body and the foot. b the tube of a tobacco-pipe. c a vertical stroke in a letter or musical note. d the winding-shaft of a watch. 4 Gram. the root or main part of a noun, verb, etc., to which inflections are added; the part that appears unchanged throughout the cases and derivatives of a noun, persons of a tense, etc. 5 Naut. the main upright timber or metal piece at the bow of a ship to which the ship's sides are joined at the fore end (from stem to stern). 6 a line of ancestry, branch of a family, etc. (descended from an ancient stem). 7 (in full drill stem) a rotating rod, cylinder, etc., used in drilling. --v. (stemmed, stemming) 1 intr. (foll. by from) spring or originate from (stems from a desire to win). 2 tr. remove the stem or stems from (fruit, tobacco, etc.). 3 tr. (of a vessel etc.) hold its own or make headway against (the tide etc.). østem cell Biol. an undifferentiated cell from which specialized cells develop. stem stitch an embroidery stitch used for narrow stems etc. stem-winder US a watch wound by turning a head on the end of a stem rather than by a key. øøstemless adj. stemlet n. stemlike adj. stemmed adj. (also in comb.). [OE stemn, stefn f. Gmc, rel. to STAND]