hem

¹ American  

[hem] / hɛm /

verb (used with object)

hemmed, hemming

1. to fold back and sew down the edge of (cloth, a garment, etc.); form an edge or border on or around.

2. to enclose or confine (usually followed by in, around, orabout ).

   hemmed in by enemies.

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noun

1. an edge made by folding back the margin of cloth and sewing it down.

2. the edge or border of a garment, drape, etc., especially at the bottom.

3. the edge, border, or margin of anything.

4. Architecture. the raised edge forming the volute of an Ionic capital.

hem ² American  

[hem] / hɛm /

interjection

1. (an utterance resembling a slight clearing of the throat, used to attract attention, express doubt, etc.)

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noun

1. the utterance or sound of “hem.”

2. a sound or pause of hesitation.

   His sermon was full of hems and haws.

verb (used without object)

hemmed, hemming

1. to utter the sound “hem.”

2. to hesitate in speaking.

idioms

1. hem and haw,

   1. to hesitate or falter.

      She hemmed and hawed a lot before she came to the point.

   2. to speak noncommittally; avoid giving a direct answer.

      He hems and haws and comes out on both sides of every question.

hem- ³ American  

1. variant of hemo- before a vowel.

   hemal.

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hem ¹ British  

/ hɛm /

noun

1. an edge to a piece of cloth, made by folding the raw edge under and stitching it down

2. short for hemline

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verb

1. to provide with a hem

2. to enclose or confine

hem ² British  

/ hɛm /

noun

1. a representation of the sound of clearing the throat, used to gain attention, express hesitation, etc

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verb

1. (intr) to utter this sound

2. to hesitate in speaking or in making a decision

hem- ³ British  

combining form

1. a US variant of haemo-

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Usage

What does hem- mean? Hem- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “blood.” It is used in many medical terms, especially in pathology.Hem- comes from the Greek haîma, meaning “blood.”Hem- is a variant of hemo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. The spelling haem- is chiefly used in British English.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use hemo- article. Other variants of hem- used like hem- are hema-, hemato-, and hemat-.As with haem-, all of these combining forms are often spelled with an additional a in British English, as in haemo-, haema-, haemato-, and haemat-. Historically, these forms have been spelled with a ligature of the a and e, as in hæm-.Closely related to hem- are -aemia, -emia, -haemia, and -hemia, which are combined to the ends of words to denote blood conditions.You can learn all about the specific applications for each of these forms at our Words That Use articles for them.

Etymology

Origin of hem¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English hem(e), Old English hem, probably akin to ham “piece of enclosed land, enclosure”; home

Origin of hem²

First recorded in 1520–30; imitative

Example Sentences

I suspect that the movie might be too smart for its own good, or perhaps hemmed in by a cynicism that, everywhere we look lately, it appears that crime does pay.

From Los Angeles Times

She shows off large animal heads, including a rat and a bull, and an embroidered dress with a ruffled hem made for the production of the Handel opera "Alcina".

From Barron's

Viola hemmed and hawed for a bit, though.

From Literature

She lifted the hem of her T-shirt and blew her nose on it.

From Literature

The Port of New York and New Jersey is hemmed in by the surrounding towns of Newark and Elizabeth, N.J.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• skirt