hem
/hɛm/ interjection, noun, verb, proper noun
Forms hems hemming hemmed
- interjection Used to fill in the gap of a pause with a vocalized sound.
- noun An utterance or sound of the voice like "hem", often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention.
- verb To make the sound expressed by the word hem; to hesitate in speaking.
- noun (sewing) The border of an article of clothing doubled back and stitched together to finish the edge and prevent it from fraying.
- noun A rim or margin of something.
- noun In sheet metal design, a rim or edge folded back on itself to create a smooth edge and to increase strength or rigidity.
- verb (sewing, intransitive) To make a hem.
- verb (transitive) To put hem on an article of clothing, to edge or put a border on something.
- verb (transitive) To shut in, enclose, confine; to surround something or someone in a confining way. “A small yard hemmed about by a tall hedge.”
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
Etymology
A sound uttered in imitation of clearing the throat (onomatopoeia)
From Middle English hem, hemm, in turn from Old English hem, of West Germanic origin, from Proto-West Germanic *hammjan from Proto-Germanic *hamjaną. Related to Middle High German hemmen (“to hem in”), Old Norse hemja (“to hem in, restrain”); outside of Germanic, to Armenian քամել (kʻamel, “to press, wring”), Russian ком (kom, “lump”).
The verb is from Middle English hemmen, from Old English hemman, from Proto-Germanic *hamjaną, or alternatively derived from the noun.
From Middle English hem, from Old English heom (“them”, dative), originally a dative plural form but in Middle English coming to serve as an accusative plural as well. More at 'em.
From Khmer ហែម (haem, “to add, to supplement”).
Webster’s 1913
- pronoun Them [Obs.] Chaucer.
- interjection An onomatopoetic word used as an expression of hesitation, doubt, etc. It is often a sort of voluntary half cough, loud or subdued, and would perhaps be better expressed by hm. Cough or cry hem, if anybody come. Shak.
- noun An utterance or sound of the voice, hem or hm, often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention. "His morning hems." Spectator.
- verb To make the sound expressed by the word hem; hence, to hesitate in speaking. "Hem, and stroke thy beard." Shak.
Etymology [OE., fr. AS. him, heom, dative pl. of. h he. See He, They.]
Etymology [AS. hem, border, margin; cf. Fries. hämel, Prov. G. hammel hem of mire or dirt.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “hem”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details