noun

1. the main upward-growing axis of a plant, having nodes and bearing leaves, usually extending in a direction opposite to that of the root and above the ground, and serving to support the plant and to transport and store food materials; specif., the main stalk or trunk of a tree, shrub, or other plant, from which leaves, flowers, and fruit develop
2. 1. any stalk or part supporting leaves, flowers, or fruit, as a pedicel, petiole, or peduncle
   2. a stalk of bananas
3. a piece or part like a stem; specif.,
   1. the slender part of a tobacco pipe between the bowl and the bit, esp. the part between the shank and the bit
   2. a narrow supporting part between the foot and the bowl, as of a wineglass
   3. the cylindrical shaft projecting from a watch, with a knurled knob at its end for winding the spring, setting the hands, etc.
   4. the rounded rod in some locks, about which the key fits and is turned
   5. the main or thick stroke of a letter, as in printing
   6. the vertical line forming part of a musical note (other than a whole note)
   7. the shaft of a feather or hair
4. 1. the upright piece to which the side timbers or plates are attached to form the prow of a ship
   2. the forward part of a ship; prow; bow
5. main line of descent of a family; ancestry; stock
6. Linguis. the part of a word, consisting of a root or a root with one or more affixes, to which inflectional endings are added or in which inflectional phonetic changes are made the present stem “bring” is the base to which -s may be added to form “brings”

Etymology: ME < OE stemn, stefn, akin to Ger stamm, tree trunk < IE base *stebh-, post, pole > step, staff

transitive verb stemmed, stemming stem′·ming

1. to remove the stem or stems from (a fruit, etc.)
2. to provide (artificial flowers, etc.) with stems

3. Etymology: < stem

   to make headway or progress against to row upstream, stemming the current

intransitive verb