Definition of "gem" in Anglais

noun

1. A precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.

2. (figuratively) Any precious or highly valued thing or person.

   • She's an absolute gem.

3. Anything of small size, or expressed within brief limits, which is regarded as a gem on account of its beauty or value, such as a small picture, a verse of poetry, or an epigram.

   • a gem of wit

4. (obsolete) A gemma or leaf bud.

   • c. 1668, John Denham (translator), Of Old Age by Cato the Elder, Part 3, in Poems and Translations, with The Sophy, London: H. Herringman, 4th edition, 1773, p. 35, Then from the Joynts of thy prolifick Stemm A swelling Knot is raised (call’d a Gemm)
   • 1803, John Browne Cutting, “A Succinct History of Jamaica” in Robert Charles Dallas, The History of the Maroons, London: Longman and Rees, Volume 1, p. xcii, In about twelve days the sprouts from the gems of the planted cane are seen […]

5. A geometrid moth of the species Orthonama obstipata.

6. (computing) A package containing programs or libraries for the Ruby programming language.

7. (uncountable, printing, uncommon, obsolete) A size of type between brilliant (4-point) and diamond (4½-point), running 222 lines to the foot.

8. (baseball) A strong, dominating pitching performance.

   • 2025, Associated Press, Crochet gets 1st career shutout and complete game as Red Sox beat Rays for 9th straight win by Associated Press, He didn’t walk a batter in his 100-pitch gem

9. (Internet slang) Internet content of good quality.

verb

1. (transitive) To adorn with, or as if with, gems.