Stem Definition, Usage & Examples in English

Meaning 1：plant stalk (stem)

stem 🔊

/stem/

The main part of a plant that holds up the leaves and flowers. It's like the plant's backbone, carrying water and food from the roots.

plant stalk 🔊

➕

/plænt stɔːk/

The main ascending axis of a vascular plant, typically above ground, that supports leaves, flowers, and fruits, and conducts water and nutrients.

📁 Category：Botany Research 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'stemn' or 'stefn', meaning tree trunk or prow of a ship.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a STEAM pipe carrying water up a building, just like a plant STEM carries water from roots to leaves.

📖 Example

The stem of the sunflower was so thick and strong that it easily held up the large, heavy flower head in the summer sun. 🔊 The sunflower's plant stalk was exceptionally robust, allowing it to support the weight of its massive bloom under the summer sun.

🔗 Collocations

main stem – the central, primary stalk of a plant

stem growth – the development and elongation of the plant stalk

cut the stem – to sever the plant stalk with a blade or shears

🔄 Synonyms

stalk (n.) – A more general term for the slender supporting structure of a plant or flower, often used interchangeably with 'stem'.

trunk (n.) – Specifically refers to the main, thick woody stem of a tree.

🚫 Antonyms

root (n.) – The part of a plant that is typically underground and absorbs water and nutrients, opposite in function and location to the stem.

🌱 Derivatives

stemless (adj.) – Having no visible stem or a very short one.

📖 Cultural Story

The Old English word 'stemn' referred to the main trunk of a tree or the stem-post of a ship, connecting the concept of a supporting pillar in nature and man-made structures. This evolved into Middle English 'stemme' and finally to modern 'stem', broadening to describe the central supporting part of any plant.