hem

A stitched hem

Meanings

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.
  • The border of an article of clothing doubled back and stitched together to finish the edge and prevent it from fraying.
  • A rim or margin of something.
  • In sheet metal design, a rim or edge folded back on itself to create a smooth edge and to increase strength or rigidity.

Verb

  • To make the sound expressed by the word hem; to hesitate in speaking.
  • To make a hem.
  • : To put hem on an article of clothing, to edge or put a border on something.
  • : To shut in, enclose, confine; to surround something or someone in a confining way.

Origin

  • A sound uttered in imitation of clearing the throat (onomatopoeia)
  • From Middle English hem, hemm, in turn from Old English hemm, of West Germanic origin, from Proto-West Germanic *hammjan. Related to Middle High German hemmen ("to hem in"), Old Norse hemja ("to hem in, restrain"); outside of Germanic, to Armenian քամել ("to press, wring"), Russian ком ("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"), originally a dative plural form but in Middle English coming to serve as an accusative plural as well. More at 'em.

Modern English dictionary

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