n.
- a precious stone, especially a single crystal or a cut and polished piece of a lustrous or translucent mineral.
▸
(jewels)
pieces of jewellery.
▸a hard precious stone used as a bearing in a watch, compass, etc.
- a highly valued person or thing.
Phrase
- the jewel in the
(or one's)
crown
the most valuable or successful part of something.
Derivative
- jewelled
(US jeweled)
adj.
Etymology
ME: from OFr. joel, from jeu ‘game, play’, from L. jocus ‘jest’.