## Meanings
1. A precious or semiprecious stone that has been cut and polished, especially for jewellery.
2. A person or thing that is especially valuable, excellent, or delightful.
3. To decorate something with gems, or as if with gems.

## Examples
- The ring was set with a brilliant green gem.
- This little café is a real gem.
- Dew gemmed the grass in the early morning light.

## Synonyms
- gemstone
- jewel

## Derived Forms
- begem
- gem-cutter
- gem-diol
- gem-diolate
- gem-hydrogenation
- gemcutter
- gemerald
- gemfish
- gemless
- gemlike
- gemmer
- gemmery

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: gemme
- Root: ġimm
- Root: *gimmu
- Root: gemma

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English gemme, gimme, yimme, ȝimme, from Old English ġimm, from Proto-West Germanic *gimmu (“gem”) and Old French gemme (“gem”), both from Latin gemma (“a swelling bud; jewel, gem”). Doublet of gemma and Gemma.

## AI Etymology
Gem is inherited from Middle English gemme, gimme, yimme, ȝimme, from Old English ġimm, from Proto-West Germanic *gimmu (“gem”) and Old French gemme (“gem”), both from Latin gemma (“a swelling bud; jewel, gem”). Doublet of gemma and Gemma. Important historical forms include Middle English gemme, Old English ġimm, Proto-West Germanic *gimmu, Old French gemme, and Latin gemma. In present-day use, it can mean a precious or semiprecious stone that has been cut and polished, especially for jewellery, or a person or thing that is especially valuable, excellent, or delightful.

## Topics
- People & Society

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gem

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