stem
stem — 縮寫
1. a short label for the group of subjects covering science and technology along wi
理工領域
科學、技術、工程、數學四大領域之統稱
a short label for the group of subjects covering science and technology along with engineering and mathematics, which many governments and schools treat as a priority academic area.
The school is adding more STEM classes to help students learn coding and robotics.
該校正在增加更多 STEM 課程，幫助學生學習寫程式和機器人技術。
collocation: STEM classes / STEM subjects / STEM education
Élise chose a career in STEM because she loved chemistry and electronics.
Élise 選擇了理工領域的職業，因為她熱愛化學和電子學。
Many colleges offer scholarships specifically for women in STEM fields.
許多大學專門為理工領域的女性提供獎學金。
The government put more money into STEM programs in primary and secondary schools.
政府投入更多資金到中小學的理工教育計畫中。
用法筆記
STEM is written in capital letters and treated as a singular noun. It is not used for individual subjects — you would say 'a science class,' not 'a STEM class,' for a single discipline.
常見錯誤
stem — 名詞
1. the essential or foundational portion of something, which other elements grow ou
主幹
事物發展或支撐的核心部分
the essential or foundational portion of something, which other elements grow out of or rely on for structure and support.
The stem of the problem is that nobody trusts the management anymore.
問題的主幹在於沒有人再信任管理層了。
metaphorical use with 'problem'
These disagreements all come from the same stem — a lack of clear rules.
這些分歧都源於同一個主幹——缺乏明確的規則。
The argument forms the stem of the entire novel, giving it a clear direction.
這個論點構成了整本小說的主幹，賦予它明確的方向。
Folake sees her family as the stem that holds everything in her life together.
Folake 將家庭視為維繫她人生一切的主幹。
用法筆記
This is a figurative extension of the plant sense. It often appears with 'the stem of' followed by an abstract noun (problem, argument, issue).
2. the long, thin central stalk growing from the ground that holds the leaves, flow
莖
植物地上部分支撐葉花果的枝幹
the long, thin central stalk growing from the ground that holds the leaves, flowers, or fruit of a plant upright.
The rose has a long green stem with sharp thorns along it.
這朵玫瑰有一根長長的綠色莖，上面長滿了尖刺。
collocation: long green stem
Caio cut the flower stem at an angle before putting it in water.
Caio 先把花莖斜切一刀，然後才放入水中。
Snails ate the stems of the young tomato plants in the garden.
蝸牛吃掉了花園裡番茄幼苗的莖。
A strong wind bent the sunflower stem but did not break it.
一陣強風吹彎了向日葵的莖，但沒有把它折斷。
Lakshmi tied the bean plant stems to wooden sticks so they would grow straight.
Lakshmi 把豆苗的莖綁在木棍上，讓它們可以長直。
常見錯誤
3. the slender upright section found on wine glasses, rising from the flat base up
杯腳
高腳杯連接杯身與底座的細長部分
the slender upright section found on wine glasses, rising from the flat base up to the wide top that holds the drink.
Maja held the wine glass carefully by the stem to avoid warming the bowl.
Maja 小心地握住酒杯的杯腳，避免手心溫熱杯身。
hold [object] by the stem
A crack appeared in the glass stem and the whole thing broke apart.
杯腳出現了一道裂痕，整隻杯子應聲碎裂。
The crystal goblet has a beautifully twisted stem in the middle.
這隻水晶高腳杯中間有優美的扭轉杯腳。
Hugo snapped the stem off the champagne flute while washing it.
Hugo 在洗香檳杯時把杯腳折斷了。
用法筆記
This sense is mostly used for formal or special drinking glasses (wine glasses, goblets), not for everyday cups or mugs.
4. in grammar, the portion left after stripping off all prefixes and suffixes; this
詞幹
單字去掉詞尾後剩下的主要部分
in grammar, the portion left after stripping off all prefixes and suffixes; this portion stays constant when grammatical endings are attached.
The stem of 'running' is 'run', which stays the same in 'ran' and 'runner'.
「running」的詞幹是「run」，在「ran」和「runner」中保持不變。
stem of [word] is [base form]
Linguists study how a word stem changes when different endings are added to it.
語言學家研究單詞的詞幹在添加不同詞尾時如何變化。
In the word 'unhappily', the stem is 'happy' after removing 'un-' and '-ly'.
在「unhappily」這個詞中，去掉「un-」和「-ly」之後的詞幹是「happy」。
Yan learned that 'walk' is the stem for 'walks', 'walked', and 'walking' in English.
Yan 學到「walk」是「walks」、「walked」和「walking」的詞幹。
用法筆記
In grammar teaching, 'stem' and 'root' are sometimes used as synonyms. However, a stem can include affixes while a root cannot — 'nation' is the root of 'national,' but 'national' is the stem of 'nationalize.'
5. the small knob found on a watch or clock casing; users twist it to adjust the ha
錶冠
手錶側面用來調時間或上發條的旋鈕
the small knob found on a watch or clock casing; users twist it to adjust the hands or wind the internal mechanism.
Shirin pulled the watch stem out and turned it gently to set the correct time.
Shirin 拉出錶冠，輕輕轉動以調準時間。
pull out the stem of [a watch]
The repair shop replaced the broken stem so the old pocket watch would work again.
鐘錶店更換了斷掉的錶冠，讓那隻舊懷錶恢復正常運作。
Ilan pushed the stem back in after winding the clock to start it ticking.
Ilan 上完發條後把錶冠推回去，讓時鐘開始滴答作響。
If the stem feels loose, the watch may need a new crown or gear inside.
如果錶冠感覺鬆動，手錶內部可能需要更換新的齒輪。
- crown
the more common term among watch users; 'stem' is the technical name used by watchmakers
- winding knob
descriptive term, less technical
用法筆記
This sense is also called the 'crown' or 'winding stem' in horology. It appears mainly in repair manuals, watch descriptions, and hobbyist contexts.
6. the heavy vertical beam at a vessel's bow that pushes through oncoming water and
船首
船體前端破水前進的垂直支撐結構
the heavy vertical beam at a vessel's bow that pushes through oncoming water and provides support for the front of the hull.
The ship's stem was reinforced with steel plates after the collision with ice.
撞上冰塊後，船首用鋼板進行了加固。
passive: stem reinforced with [material]
Jack stood at the fishing boat's stem, watching for hidden rocks in the water.
Jack 站在漁船的船首，觀察淺水區是否有岩石。
at the stem of [a vessel]
Paint on the old wooden stem had peeled off from years of salt water.
那艘舊木船的船首油漆因長年受到海水侵蝕而脫落。
The design of the stem determines how smoothly a ship moves through waves.
船首的設計決定了船隻在水中航行的平穩程度。
- stern
the back end of a ship
用法筆記
This is a nautical term. It is found in shipbuilding, sailing, and naval contexts. The opposite end of the ship is the stern. The idiom 'from stem to stern' means 'from the front to the back of a ship' or, more loosely, 'completely.'
常見錯誤
7. the academic grouping of four disciplines—engineering alongside science, technol
理工教育
科學、科技、工程、數學四大學科領域
the academic grouping of four disciplines—engineering alongside science, technology, and mathematics—studied as a combined field at schools and universities.
Apinya decided to study STEM at university because she wants to design bridges.
Apinya 決定上大學讀理工領域，因為她想設計橋梁。
study STEM at [institution]
Girls in the program built robots and learned how STEM can solve everyday problems.
參加該計畫的女孩們組裝了機器人，並學到理工教育如何解決日常問題。
The university invested in a new STEM centre with modern computer labs and workshops.
該大學投資興建了新的理工中心，配備現代化電腦實驗室與工作坊。
Stephanie says her love of STEM began after dismantling an old radio as a child.
Stephanie 表示她對理工的熱愛始於小時候拆解一台舊收音機。
用法筆記
This is the noun use of the abbreviation STEM, referring to the collective academic field. When written as a noun (not an abbreviation label), it is still capitalised. It is uncountable: 'STEM is growing,' not 'STEMs are growing.'
常見錯誤
8. on a smoking pipe, the narrow piece connecting the bowl to the mouthpiece, throu
煙斗柄
煙斗連接煙嘴與斗缽的細管部分
on a smoking pipe, the narrow piece connecting the bowl to the mouthpiece, through which the user inhales the smoke.
Kian cleaned the pipe stem with a thin wire to remove the built-up tar inside.
Kian 用一根細鐵絲清理煙斗柄內部堆積的焦油。
clean the pipe stem
The wooden stem of the old pipe had cracked from years of use and heat.
那隻舊煙斗的木製煙斗柄因長年使用與受熱而裂開。
A collector judges a pipe by how smooth the stem and mouthpiece feel.
收藏家透過煙斗柄和吸嘴的光滑度來判斷煙斗的品質。
Yan carefully fitted a new stem onto the antique pipe he was repairing.
Yan 小心地為他正在修復的古董煙斗裝上新的煙斗柄。
用法筆記
This sense is limited to tobacco pipe enthusiasts and vintage contexts. Most modern learners will encounter this in literature rather than daily conversation.
stem — 動詞
1. to stop or slow down the development, spread, or increase of something that is c
遏止
阻止不良事物擴散或惡化
to stop or slow down the development, spread, or increase of something that is considered bad or harmful.
The new policy aims to stem the loss of young teachers from rural schools.
新政策旨在遏止偏鄉學校年輕教師流失的問題。
stem the loss of [something]
Doctors are trying to stem the rise of antibiotic-resistant infections in hospitals.
醫生們正努力遏止醫院內抗藥性感染病例的增加。
The government introduced measures to stem the flow of illegal goods across the border.
政府推出了多項措施來遏止非法貨物越過邊境流入。
Social media companies took steps to stem the spread of false news during the election.
社群媒體公司採取措施遏止選舉期間假消息的擴散。
- promote
to actively encourage growth or spread
- accelerate
to cause something to happen faster
文法句型
stem + noun phrase (something unwanted)
用法筆記
This sense is formal and often used in news, policy, and academic writing. Frequent objects are 'tide,' 'flow,' 'loss,' 'rise,' 'spread,' and 'wave.' It is almost never used with small, everyday situations (e.g., you would not 'stem a child's crying').
常見錯誤
2. to halt a liquid from continuing to move, especially blood escaping from an inju
止血
阻止液體（尤指血液）流動
to halt a liquid from continuing to move, especially blood escaping from an injury, by pressing on the source or using medical techniques.
The nurse pressed a cloth against the cut to stem the flow of blood.
護士用一塊布壓住傷口以止住血流。
stem the flow of blood
It took several minutes for the doctor to stem the bleeding from the deep wound.
醫生花了幾分鐘才止住深深傷口的出血。
stem the bleeding
Folake used a clean towel to stem the blood until the ambulance arrived.
Folake 用一條乾淨的毛巾止血，直到救護車抵達。
The surgeon managed to stem the internal bleeding with a tiny clamp.
外科醫生用一把微型夾子成功止住了內出血。
文法句型
stem + noun phrase (the liquid or the source)
用法筆記
This sense is most commonly used in medical and first-aid contexts. The object is usually 'blood,' 'bleeding,' or 'the flow of blood.' For other liquids (e.g., water from a pipe), 'stop' or 'block' is more common.
常見錯誤
3. to develop or happen as a result of something else; to have a particular cause,
源自
起源於；由…導致
to develop or happen as a result of something else; to have a particular cause, origin, or starting point.
Her fear of dogs stems from a childhood incident with a large, excited dog.
她對狗的恐懼源自小時候被一隻大型興奮的狗嚇到的經歷。
stem from + noun phrase (origin / cause)
Many of the team's problems stem from poor communication between departments.
團隊的許多問題源自部門之間溝通不良。
Jack's interest in cooking stems from helping his grandmother in the kitchen every weekend.
Jack 對烹飪的興趣源自每個週末在廚房幫奶奶做菜。
The disagreement stems from a misunderstanding about who was supposed to pay the bill.
這場爭執源自對於誰該付帳單的誤會。
- originate
more formal; can be used for both physical and abstract sources
- arise from
suggests something emerges as a consequence; slightly more formal
- come from
more casual and common in everyday speech
- result in
reverses the direction of causation (A stems from B = B results in A)
文法句型
stem from + noun phrase
stem from + -ing form
用法筆記
Always used with 'from' (or occasionally 'in'). The construction 'stem from the fact that…' is common in academic writing. This verb is not used for physical objects — you would not say 'the river stems from the mountains' (use 'originates').
常見錯誤
4. to remove the thin stalk or stem from a fruit, vegetable, or leaf before cooking
去梗
去除水果或蔬菜的蒂梗
to remove the thin stalk or stem from a fruit, vegetable, or leaf before cooking or eating it.
Hugo stemmed the strawberries before adding them to the cake batter.
Hugo 先把草莓去梗，然後才加入蛋糕麵糊中。
stem + [fruit] before [cooking action]
The recipe says to stem the herbs and chop the leaves very finely.
食譜上說要先將香草去梗，再把葉子切得很細。
Apinya sat at the table stemming a large bowl of grapes for the fruit salad.
Apinya 坐在桌前為水果沙拉處理一大碗葡萄的去梗工作。
If you stem the spinach first, the cooked dish will have a softer texture.
如果你先把菠菜去梗，煮出來的菜餚口感會更軟嫩。
文法句型
stem + noun phrase (fruit / vegetable)
用法筆記
This is a kitchen or gardening verb. The object is always the plant or fruit, not the stem itself (e.g., 'stem the strawberries,' not 'stem the stems'). In recipes, 'destem' is sometimes used interchangeably.