Stem (noun) refers to the main woody axis of a plant or the part that supports a flower, leaf, or fruit. It also denotes the truncated beginning of a word or a stem-derived affix in linguistics, and, in a metaphorical sense, the main source or origin of something. The term can describe a stalk, trunk, or main stem of river or plant, as well as a stem in a mathematical or abstract context when referring to a base or core part.
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