# jewel
## English
### Etymology

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”). Compare Medieval Latin jocale.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈd͡ʒuːəl/, /ˈd͡ʒuːl/, /ˈd͡ʒʊəl/
* (Canada, General American) IPA: /d͡ʒul/, /ˈd͡ʒu.əl/
* Audio (US):(file)
* (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA: /d͡ʒʉl/, /d͡ʒʉ.əl/
* (Indic) IPA: /ˈd͡ʒ(u)wel/
* Rhymes: -uːl, -ʊəl
* Homophones: joule; duel, dual (yod-coalescence)

### Noun

jewel (plural jewels)
* A precious or semi-precious stone; gem, gemstone.
* 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.
* (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.
* (horology) A bearing for a pivot in a watch, formed of a crystal or precious stone.
* Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Hypochrysops.
* (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

* See also Thesaurus:gemstone

#### Derived terms

* bejewel
* crown jewel
* ditch jewel
* eight-jewel
* jewel anemone
* jewel-babbler
* jewel bearing
* jewel beetle
* jewel block
* jewel box
* jewel bug
* jewel case
* jewel cichlid
* jewel crafting
* jewelcrafting
* jeweler, jeweller
* jewel in the crown
* jewel in the Liberal crown
* jewelled
* jewellery, jewelry
* jewel-neck
* jewel salad
* jewel tone
* jewel-weed
* jewel yam

#### Translations

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

### Verb

jewel (third-person singular simple present jewels, present participle jewelling or jeweling, simple past and past participle jewelled or jeweled)
* To bejewel; to decorate or bedeck with jewels or gems.

#### Translations
## Middle English
### Noun

jewel
* Alternative form of juel