Jewel

//ˈd͡ʒuːəl// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A female given name from English from the noun jewel, used since the end of the 19th century.

    "Jewel he called her; and he would say this as he might have said ‘Jane,’ don’t you know, with a marital, homelike, peaceful effect. I heard the name for the first time ten minutes after I had landed in his courtyard, when, after nearly shaking my arm off, he darted up the steps and began to make a joyous, boyish disturbance at the door under the heavy eaves. ‘Jewel! O! Jewel. Quick! Here’s a friend come,’ …"

  2. 2
    A male given name from English, a variant of Jewell, or from "jewel" like the female name.
Noun
  1. 1
    A precious or semi-precious stone; gem, gemstone.
  2. 2
    a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry wordnet
  3. 3
    A valuable object used for personal ornamentation, especially one made of precious metals and stones; a piece of jewellery.

    "Iachimo: 'Tis plate of rare device, and jewels / Of rich and exquisite form, their values great."

  4. 4
    a person who is as brilliant and precious as a piece of jewelry wordnet
  5. 5
    Anything precious or valuable. figuratively

    "Galveston was the jewel of Texas prior to the hurricane."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    A bearing for a pivot in a watch, formed of a crystal or precious stone.
  2. 7
    Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Hypochrysops.
  3. 8
    The clitoris. slang

    "The area between her eyebrows wrinkled with the increasing circular motions her two fingers made on her jewel."

Verb
  1. 1
    To bejewel; to decorate or bedeck with jewels or gems.
  2. 2
    adorn or decorate with precious stones wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

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

Etymology 3

From jewel.

Next best steps

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: jewel