jewel

1 of 2

noun

jew·​el ˈjü-əl How to pronounce jewel (audio) ˈjül How to pronounce jewel (audio)
 also  ˈju̇l
often attributive
1
: a precious stone : gem
2
: an ornament of precious metal often set with stones or decorated with enamel and worn as an accessory of dress
3
: one that is highly esteemed
regarded the library as the jewel of the campus
4
: a bearing for a pivot (as in a watch) made of crystal, glass, or a gem
jewellike
ˈjü-əl-ˌlīk How to pronounce jewel (audio)
ˈjül-
 also  ˈju̇l-
adjective

jewel

2 of 2

verb

jeweled or jewelled; jeweling or jewelling

transitive verb

1
: to adorn or equip with jewels
2
: to give beauty to as if with jewels : embellish

Examples of jewel in a Sentence

Noun That diamond is one of world's largest jewels. This painting is the jewel in our gallery. The building is regarded as one of the jewels of modern architecture.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Built in Shanghai, carrier Fujian and the Type 076 are the crown jewels of a military expansion that has seen Beijing grow its navy into the world’s largest, with more than 340 warships to its name. Edward Szekeres and Brad Lendon, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024 Soto, naturally, is the crown jewel of free agency that every team would love to land. Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
The strawberry, blackberry and raspberry fields of the Pajaro Valley stretch for 10 miles along the coast of California’s Monterey Bay, jeweled with fruit from April through early December. Coral Davenport, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for jewel 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English juel, from Anglo-French, diminutive of ju, jeu game, play, from Latin jocus game, joke — more at joke

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1551, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jewel was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near jewel

Cite this Entry

“Jewel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jewel. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

jewel

1 of 2 noun
jew·​el ˈjü-əl How to pronounce jewel (audio)
ˈjül
1
: an ornament of precious metal often set with stones and worn as an accessory of dress
2
: one that is highly valued or prized
3
: a precious stone : gem
4
: a bearing in a watch made of a crystal or a precious stone

jewel

2 of 2 verb
jeweled or jewelled; jeweling or jewelling
: to adorn or equip with jewels

More from Merriam-Webster on jewel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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