stem

Compared meaning: the supporting stem of a plant (noun).

比较义项：植物的茎，支撑叶、花或果实的部分（名词）。

• stem 本词

  The general, everyday word for a plant's upright supporting part; used for flowers, trees and most plants, in ordinary, non-technical speech.

  指植物向上生长、起支撑作用的部分，用法通用、口语化，适用于花、树以及大多数植物。

  The gardener trimmed each rose stem to the same length before arranging them.

  园丁把每根玫瑰的茎都剪成同样的长度，然后再插花。

• stalk

  Used especially for a thinner or more rigid supporting part, often of vegetables, grain or fungi (a celery stalk, a wheat stalk); more specific than the general term.

  多指较细或较硬的支撑部分，常见于蔬菜、谷物或菌类的茎（如芹菜、小麦），比通用说法更具体。

  She snapped a stalk of celery in half to add to the salad.

  她把一根芹菜茎掰成两半，加进沙拉里。

Stem and stalk both mean a plant's supporting part. Stem is the common, general word for flowers, trees and plants. Stalk means a thinner or harder stem, often on vegetables, grain or fungi. Not compared: stem meaning 'word origin', or stalk meaning 'follow secretly'.

这两个词都指植物的茎，但用法有别：stem 是最常见、最通用的说法，花、树、各种植物的茎都可以用；stalk 通常指较细或较硬的茎，常见于蔬菜、谷物或菌类（如芹菜、小麦）的茎。这里不比较 stem 表示“词干”“来源于”等其他意思，也不比较 stalk 作动词表示“悄悄跟踪”的用法。

Compared meaning: to stop something that is flowing or happening (verb).

比较义项：使正在流动或进行的事物停止（动词：阻止、遏制、止住）。

• stem 本词

  Used mainly for slowing or reducing a flow (blood, a tide, migration, losses); does not always mean a complete stop, and is common in news and business contexts.

  主要用于减缓或减少某种流动（如血液、潮水、移民、损失等），不一定表示完全停止，常见于新闻和商业语境中。

  The central bank raised interest rates to stem the flow of investment leaving the country.

  央行上调利率，以遏制资金流出该国。

• halt

  Used for stopping movement, an activity or a process completely, often suddenly; not specifically about a flow, and not restricted to blood or wounds.

  用于使某种运动、活动或进程完全停止，通常是突然停止；并非特指某种流动，也不限于血液或伤口。

  The referee halted the match when the floodlights suddenly failed.

  泛光灯突然失灵时，裁判叫停了比赛。

• staunch

  Narrow and rather formal; used almost only for stopping blood from a wound, and can take the wound or the blood directly as its object.

  词义较窄且偏正式，几乎只用于止住伤口的血，可以直接以“伤口”或“血”作宾语。

  He tied a cloth tightly around the cut to staunch the wound.

  他用布条紧紧绑住伤口，以止住伤口的血。

Stem, halt and staunch all mean to stop something. Stem means slowing a flow, like blood or migration. Halt means stopping movement or a process completely. Staunch, formal, means stopping blood from a wound. Not compared: stem's plant sense, halt's noun sense, staunch meaning 'loyal'.

这三个词都可表示“让某物停止”，但语气和适用范围不同：stem 常用于减缓或遏制血液、潮水、移民等的“流动”，不一定表示完全停止；halt 泛指使运动、活动或进程完全停止，不限于“流动”；staunch 用法最窄，几乎只用于止住伤口的血，语气也较正式。这里不比较 stem 作名词表示“（植物的）茎”的用法，也不比较 halt 作名词表示“停止，停车站”的用法，以及 staunch 作形容词表示“坚定的，忠诚的”的用法（例句中“a staunch supporter”正是这种未被比较的形容词用法）。