Hem
Hem (hem) , pronoun
[Old English, from Anglo-Saxon him, heom, dative pl. of. hē he. See He, They.]
Them [Obsolete] — Chaucer
Hem , 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.
Hem , 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.
Hem , intransitive verb
[r15. See Hem, interj.]
To make the sound expressed by the word hem; hence, to hesitate in speaking.
Hem, and stroke thy beard.
Hem , noun
[Anglo-Saxon hem, border, margin; compare Fries. hamel, Prov. German hammel hem of mire or dirt.]
1.
The edge or border of a garment or cloth, doubled over and sewed, to strengthen it and prevent raveling.
2.
Border; edge; margin.
Hem of the sea.
3.
A border made on sheet-metal ware by doubling over the edge of the sheet, to stiffen it and remove the sharp edge.
Hem , transitive verb
1.
To form a hem or border to; to fold and sew down the edge of. — Wordsworth
2.
To border; to edge
All the skirt about
Was hemmed with golden fringe.
Collocations (2)
To hem about or To hem around or To hem in , to inclose and confine; to surround; to environ. With valiant squadrons round about to hem. Hemmed in to be a spoil to tyranny.
To hem out , to shut out. You can not hem me out of London.