WordWeb Online

1. (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
   "thematic vowels are part of the stem";
   - root, root word, base, theme, radical
    
2. A slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ
   - stalk
    
3. Cylinder forming a long narrow part of something
   - shank
    
4. The tube of a tobacco pipe
    
5. Front part of a vessel or aircraft
   "he pointed the stem of the boat toward the finish line";
   - bow[3], fore, prow
    
6. A turn made in skiing; the back of one ski is forced outward and the other ski is brought parallel to it
   - stem turn

1. Grow out of, have roots in, originate in
   "The increase in the national debt stems from the last war"
    
2. Cause to point inward
   "stem your skis"
    
3. Stop the flow of a liquid
   "stem the tide";
   - stanch [N. Amer], staunch, halt
    
4. Remove the stem from
   "for automatic natural language processing, the words must be stemmed"

1. Acronym of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Derived forms: stems, stemming, stemmed

Type of: check, cylinder, descriptor, form, front, orient, originate in, plant organ, remove, signifier, take, take away, tube, tubing, turn, turning, withdraw, word form

Part of: anchor, grip, ground tackle, handgrip, handle, hold, key, nail, pin, pipe, tobacco pipe, vessel, watercraft, wineglass

Encyclopedia: Stem, North Carolina