Meaning & use
stemware
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
Glasses for drinking that have a long thin handle connecting the bowl to the base.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun: 'We need more stemware for the party.' Not 'a stemware' or 'stemwares'.
Patterns
- a piece of stemware
- stemware for something
The restaurant keeps its stemware polished and ready for the evening service.
She bought a set of crystal stemware for their anniversary dinner.
Please handle the stemware carefully when you set the table.
Common combinations
- crystal stemware
- The cabinet was filled with delicate crystal stemware.
- a set of stemware
- They received a set of stemware as a wedding gift.
- polished stemware
- The waiter arranged the polished stemware on the shelf.
- stemware rack
- The bar has a stemware rack hanging above it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- glassware
- Glassware is a broader term that includes all drinking vessels and other glass items; stemware specifically means glasses with stems.
- wine glasses
- Wine glasses are a type of stemware, but stemware can also include champagne flutes and other stemmed glasses.
Word family
- stem noun
- The long thin part of a glass that supports the bowl.
- stemmed adjective
- Having a stem, as in 'stemmed glasses'.
Commonly confused: stemware or stem cell?
stemware vs stem cell
Stem cell is a biological term for an unspecialized cell; stemware is a type of drinking glass.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'stemware' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Stemware' is uncountable, so it cannot take 'a' or a plural form. Option C correctly uses 'some stemware'. Options An and D use 'a stemware' or 'stemwares', which are wrong. Option B uses a plural verb 'are', which does not agree with the uncountable noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stemware”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.