Also 6 steme, stemp, 6–7 stemme. [f. STEM sb.2]
1. trans. Of a vessel, a navigator: To urge the stem against, make headway against (a tide, current, gale, etc.). Hence of a swimmer, a flying bird, and the like: To make headway against (water or wind), to breast (the waves, the air). Often in figurative context: see note to STEM v.2 2.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., II. vi. 36. As doth a Saile, fill’d with a fretting Gust, Command an Argosie to stemme the Waues.
1613–6. W. Browne, Brit. Past., I. iv. 68. Milke-white Swannes which stem the streames of Poe.
1619. Drayton, Heroical Epist., Lady Jane Gray, 77. The true-bred Eagle strongly stems [earlier edd. beares] the Wind.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 27. He that would stemme the Tyde, had need of a good Gale.
1682. Dryden & Tate, Abs. & Achit., II. 1132. This year did Ziloah Rule Jerusalem, And boldly all Sedition’s Syrges stem.
1720. De Foe, Capt. Singleton, v. (1840), 80. We stemmed the ebb easily.
1754. Hume, Hist. Gt. Brit., Chas. I., iv. 249. Charles, in despair of being able to stem the torrent, at last resolved to yield to it.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 71. The naked negro, panting at the line,… Basks in the glare, or stems the tepid wave.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), II. Eviter à marée, to stem the tide. Eviter au vent, to carry the head to windward, to stem the wind.
1815. Falconer’s Dict. Marine (ed. Burney), To Stem the Tide, is to acquire a velocity in sailing against the tide equal to the force of the current.
1816. Tuckey, Narr. Exped. R. Zaire, iii. (1818), 78. Though the current was running scarcely three miles an hour, she [the ship] at first barely stemmed it.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., xxx. The prudence of Morton found sufficient occupation in stemming the furious current of these contending parties.
1861. Buckle, Civiliz. (1869), III. v. 298. He opposed the tide which he was unable to stem.
1899. F. T. Bullen, Log Sea-waif, 289. The swift ebb past us … straining our cable out taut as if we were stemming a gale.
b. transf. and fig. To go counter to, make headway against (something compared to a stream); rarely, † to face, defy (a person).
1675. Otway, Alcibiades, I. i. I then … Will bravely stem him, and with this bold Hand Revenge, or fall a Victim to your Flame.
1675. V. Alsop, Anti-Sozzo, iii. § 2. 161. Never was Man so confuted … as he that stems the Experience of the whole World.
1759. Johnson, Rasselas, xlvii. Every one is not able to stem the temptations of public life.
a. 1844. Campbell, Transl., Martial Elegy, 23. Leave not our sires to stem th’ unequal fight.
1847. De Quincey, Joan of Arc, Wks. 1890, V. 412. [This calumny] has a weight of contradicting testimony to stem.
a. 1853. Robertson, Serm., Ser. III. xxi. 272. We are now to ask how he will stem those seductions.
1888. F. Cowper, Cædwalla, 250. At a very slow pace … the grey frocked monks … stemmed the still hurrying bodies of fugitives.
c. To stem one’s course: to make one’s way against difficulties. rare.
1826. Mrs. Shelley, Last Man, II. 36. Slowly and sadly I stemned [sic] my course from among the heaps of slain.
d. To direct the head of (a vessel) on a place; to keep (a vessel) on a fixed course.
1594. J. Dickenson, Arisbas (1878), 85. The Pilot mistaking his course, stemmed the ship on a rock.
1653. Holcroft, Procopius, Goth. Wars, I. 31. No wind being able to stemme them up the Stream.
1684. trans. Corn. Nepos, Ded. a 8. He is the Master of true Courage that all the time sedately stemms the Ship.
e. intr. Of a vessel or a navigator: To head in a certain direction, keep a certain course.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 25. Thai na nedill had na stane, But rowit alwayis in-till ane, Stemmand alwayis apon the fyre, That thai saw byrnand.
1595. T. Edwards, Narcissus (Roxb.), 53. Then like a cunning pilate making out, To gaine the Oceans currant stem I forward.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann. (1658), 153. Upon the sudden Alcibiades came stemming in with 18 fresh ships.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 642. They on the trading Flood … Ply stemming nightly toward the Pole.
1672. Lond. Gaz., No. 680/1. We got up with them on their weather Gage, they and we stemming up S by W.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), II. s.v. Gouverne, The order to steer the ship exactly as she stems, or carries her head.
1801. Naval Chron., VI. 12. The … squadron … found themselves stemming for the centre of the … fleet.
1863. Cowden Clarke, Shaks. Char., xx. 520. There it was, stemming away against wind and tide.
1908. L. Binyon, Lond. Visions, 88. Ships on far tracks are stemming through the night.
2. To dash against with the stem of a vessel; to ram. Obs.
c. 1500. Melusine, xxxvi. 269. They … stemed the shippes of the sarasyns in suche manere that they were sparpylled.
1537. Adm. Ct. Exemplif., i. No. 174. [An English ship mistook another for a Spaniard and] stemped the foresaid Thomas.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., IV. ii. 16. As when two war-like Brigandines … Doe meete together … They stemme ech other with so fell despight, That [etc.].
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, III. vi. § 6. 68. Stemming the formost of their enemies, and chasing the rest.
1617. Purchas, Pilgrimage, V. vii. (ed. 3), 599. Their three smaller Ships had thought to haue Stemmed the Hope then riding at an Anchor.
1654. H. Lestrange, Chas. I. (1655), 95. When suddenly rose a violent storm which drave a greater vessel … so forcibly upon them as stemm’d them.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, I. (1693), 132. And like two great Caraques in a foul Sea, they never met in Counsel, but they stemmed one another.
1810. Naval Chron., XXIII. 53. A beak of metal was fixed on their prows for the purpose of stemming the enemy’s ships.
† b. transf. Used of natural agencies. Obs.
a. 1592. Greene & Lodge, Looking Gl. (1598), F 2 b. Our Barke is battered by incountring stormes, And welny stemd by breaking of the flouds.
† c. To go stemming: to ram a ship. Obs.
1644. Manwayring, Seamans Dict., 102. To goe Stemming a-boord a ship, that is the same, as giving the ship the Stem.
† 3. intr. To meet stem to stem with. Obs.
1697. Dampier, Voy., I. 461. We stemm’d right with the middle of it [sc. the shoal], and stood within half a mile of the Rocks, and sounded; but found no ground.
† 4. trans. To furnish (a ship) with a stem. Obs.
1585. Higins, Junius’ Nomencl., 219/2. Nauis rostrata,… a ship stemmed, beaked, or pointed with brasse.
c. 1590. Greene, Friar Bacon, 1037 (Grosart). Frigats bottomd with rich Sethin planks,… Stemd and incast with burnisht Iuorie.
