jewel

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.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒuːəl/, /ˈd͡ʒuːl/, /ˈd͡ʒʊəl/
• (Canada, General American) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒul/, /ˈd͡ʒu.əl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːl, -ʊəl
• Homophones: joule, duel, dual (both with yod coalescence)

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.

• See also Thesaurus:gemstone

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.

jewel

1. Alternative form of juel