stem

(noun) (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed. Synonyms: root, root word, base, theme, radical. Examples: "Thematic vowels are part of the stem."

(noun) a slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ. Synonyms: stalk.

(noun) cylinder forming a long narrow part of something. Synonyms: shank.

(noun) the tube of a tobacco pipe.

(noun) front part of a vessel or aircraft. Synonyms: bow, fore, prow. Examples: "He pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line."

(noun) a turn made in skiing; the back of one ski is forced outward and the other ski is brought parallel to it. Synonyms: stem turn.

(verb) grow out of, have roots in, originate in. Examples: "The increase in the national debt stems from the last war."

(verb) cause to point inward. Examples: "Stem your skis."

(verb) stop the flow of a liquid. Synonyms: stanch, staunch, halt. Examples: "Staunch the blood flow." "Stem the tide."

(verb) remove the stem from. Examples: "For automatic natural language processing, the words must be stemmed."