See also: Jewel

English edit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
 
A jewel.

Etymology edit

From Middle English juel, jewel, juwel, jeuel, jowel, from Anglo-Norman juel, from Old French jouel, joel, joiel, hence French joyau, of uncertain origin. Perhaps based ultimately on Latin gaudium (joy), or on Latin iocus (joke; jest). Compare Medieval Latin jocale.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

jewel (plural jewels)

  1. A precious or semi-precious stone; gem, gemstone.
  2. A valuable object used for personal ornamentation, especially one made of precious metals and stones; a piece of jewellery.
    • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene vi], lines 188–9:
      Iachimo: 'Tis plate of rare device, and jewels / Of rich and exquisite form, their values great.
  3. (figuratively) Anything precious or valuable.
    Galveston was the jewel of Texas prior to the hurricane.
    • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. [] The First Part [], 2nd edition, part 1, London: [] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, [], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:
      Wel, wel (Meander) thou art deepely read:
      And hauing thee, I haue a iewell ſure:
      Go on my Lord, and giue your charge I ſay,
      Thy wit wil make vs Conquerors to day.
    • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
      Had our prince,—
      Jewel of children,—seen this hour, he had pair'd
      Well with this lord: there was not full a month
      Between their births.
  4. (horology) A bearing for a pivot in a watch, formed of a crystal or precious stone.
  5. Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Hypochrysops.
  6. (slang) The clitoris.
    • 2008, Another Time, Another Place: Five Novellas:
      The area between her eyebrows wrinkled with the increasing circular motions her two fingers made on her jewel.

Synonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb edit

jewel (third-person singular simple present jewels, present participle jewelling or jeweling, simple past and past participle jewelled or jeweled)

  1. To bejewel; to decorate or bedeck with jewels or gems.

Translations edit

Middle English edit

Noun edit

jewel

  1. Alternative form of juel