radical vs stem

radical

noun
  • A root (of a number or quantity). 

  • In Celtic languages, refers to the basic, underlying form of an initial consonant which can be further mutated under the Celtic initial consonant mutations. 

  • A person with radical opinions. 

  • In logographic writing systems such as the Chinese writing system, the portion of a character (if any) that provides an indication of its meaning, as opposed to phonetic. 

  • In Semitic languages, any one of the set of consonants (typically three) that make up a root. 

  • A free radical. 

  • Given an ideal I in a commutative ring R, another ideal, denoted Rad(I) or √, such that an element x ∈ R is in Rad(I) if, for some positive integer n, xⁿ ∈ I; equivalently, the intersection of all prime ideals containing I. 

  • The intersection of maximal submodules of a given module. 

  • A member of the most progressive wing of the Liberal Party; someone favouring social reform (but generally stopping short of socialism). 

  • Given a ring R, an ideal containing elements of R that share a property considered, in some sense, "not good". 

  • A group of atoms, joined by covalent bonds, that take part in reactions as a single unit. 

  • A member of an influential, centrist political party favouring moderate social reform, a republican constitution, and secular politics. 

  • The product of the distinct prime factors of a given positive integer. 

adj
  • Relating to a radix or mathematical root. 

  • Thoroughgoing; far-reaching. 

  • Involving free radicals. 

  • Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter. 

  • Excellent; awesome. 

  • Produced using the root of the tongue. 

  • Pertaining to a root (of a plant). 

  • Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something. 

  • Of or pertaining to the root of a word. 

stem

noun
  • 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 lesbian, chiefly African-American, exhibiting both stud and femme traits. 

  • A branch of a family. 

  • A component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork. 

  • The penis. 

  • 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 premixed portion of a track for use in audio mastering and remixing. 

  • A person's leg. 

  • The vertical or nearly vertical forward extension of the keel, to which the forward ends of the planks or strakes are attached. 

  • A vertical stroke marking the length of a note in written music. 

  • A narrow part on certain man-made objects, such as a wine glass, a tobacco pipe, a spoon. 

  • A part of an anatomic structure considered without its possible branches or ramifications. 

  • A winder on a clock, watch, or similar mechanism. 

  • The stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors. 

  • 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 vertical stroke of a letter. 

  • A crack pipe; or the long, hollow portion of a similar pipe (i.e. meth pipe) resembling a crack pipe. 

  • An advanced or leading position; the lookout. 

verb
  • To direct the stem (of a ship) against; to make headway against. 

  • To ram (clay, etc.) into a blasting hole. 

  • To move the feet apart and point the tips of the skis inward in order to slow down the speed or to facilitate a turn. 

  • To be caused or derived; to originate. 

  • To stop, hinder (for instance, a river or blood). 

  • To descend in a family line. 

  • To remove the stem from. 

How often have the words radical and stem occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )