stem
The stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors.
A branch of a family.
A branch, or group of branches, located outside a family or other cladistic group, but which is more closely related to that group than to any other taxon of the same rank.
An advanced or leading position; the lookout.
The above-ground stalk (technically axis) of a vascular plant, and certain anatomically similar, below-ground organs such as rhizomes, bulbs, tubers, and corms.
A slender supporting member of an individual part of a plant such as a flower or a leaf; also, by analogy, the shaft of a feather.
A narrow part on certain man-made objects, such as a wine glass, a tobacco pipe, a spoon.
The main part of an uninflected word to which affixes may be added to form inflections of the word. A stem often has a more fundamental root. Systematic conjugations and declensions derive from their stems.
A person's leg.
The penis.
Sound Patterns & Rhymes
Alliteration
Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)
Assonance
Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing