stem

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 the main long thin part of a plant above the ground from which the leaves or flowers grow; a smaller part that grows from this and supports flowers or leaves: long, trailing stems of ivy * a tall plant with branching stems 2 the long thin part of a wine glass between the bowl and the base 3 the thin tube of a tobacco pipe 4 (-stemmed) (in adjectives) having one or more stems of the type mentioned: a long-stemmed rose * slender-stemmed wine glasses 5 (grammar) the main part of a word that stays the same when endings are added to it: 'Writ' is the stem of the forms 'writes', 'writing' and 'written'. IDIOMS from stem to stern all the way from the front of a ship to the back verb (-mm-) [VN] to stop sth that is flowing from spreading or increasing: The cut was bandaged to stem the bleeding. * They discussed ways of stemming the flow of smuggled drugs. * The government had failed to stem the tide of factory closures. PHRASALVERBS stem from sth (not used in the progressive tenses) to be the result of sth: Most people's insecurities stem from something that happened in their childhood.