stem+to+stem
131stem — The stem [OE] of a tree is etymologically the upright part, the part that ‘stands’ up. The word comes from prehistoric Germanic *stamniz, a derivative of the base *sta ‘stand’ (which also produced English stand). The application to the ‘front of… …
132stem the tide — If people try to stem the tide, they are trying to stop something unpleasant from getting worse, usually when they don t succeed. (Dorking School Dictionary) *** If you stem the tide (of events), you stop the development of something… …
