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• hem
  hem

  verb (used with object)

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

  variant of hemo- before a vowel.

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”; see origin at home

Origin of hem²

First recorded in 1520–30; imitative

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Explanation

When kids grow taller, their parents sometimes have to let out the hem in their pants so they'll be long enough. The hem is the very bottom, folded edge of a piece of clothing. Most of your clothes have at least one hem in them — at the ends of your sleeves, the bottom of your skirt, or along the edge of your t-shirt. When a person sews a hem, whether he's making a dress or a pair of curtains, he folds a very small amount of fabric under two or three times and stitches along the edge in a straight line. In Old English, the word hem means "a border."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hem hem- hemmed hemming

There were forms and traditions and processes, there were strictures, rules, the law, expectations, all of which would hem in the head of the executive branch, at least eventually.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026

Authorities often attempt to hem in or demolish slums rather than extend electricity, paved roads or schools to them.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

The asymmetry of the cut, however, sounded a note of continuation: Ivanka wore a white Oscar de la Renta jacket with an asymmetric handkerchief hem for inauguration day in 2017.

From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2025

The whole world is awash in scammy supplements and overpriced, ineffective diet plans, none of which is subject to the regulation or research requirements that hem in, however imperfectly, the pharmaceutical industry.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2024

“Great. So much for keeping a low profile! Now I’m going to smell like a wet diaper,” Delia said, mopping over her saliva-slathered hair with the hem of her T-shirt.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Mary Quant sold her first hem- and eyebrow-raising miniskirts.

From New York Times ● Dec. 26, 2013

Officials say large canopies create a similar visibility problem in Laguna Beach, where beaches are much more narrow and often hemmed in by coves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

The property is reachable by narrow roads hemmed in by overgrown trees, but its remoteness is an illusion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Despite being close to the coast, players and spectators cannot see the sea, with the tight plot of land hemmed in by a railway track and houses.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026

It was whether federal courts, hemmed in by the modern law of habeas corpus, are permitted to say anything meaningful about that possibility at all.

From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026

They were standing by the curving staircase, hemmed by an ornate balustrade.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

So I started in on the pile—taking in a dress and hemming a tablecloth—until I realized that half of the projects I didn’t want anymore.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

She was so thrilled by my interest that she would have handed over anything that fit, and I stayed up late hemming the dress by hand.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

He has also mocked allies uneasy about the widening conflict, referring to those who "wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force."

From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026

One of the themes that you pull out is that the amendment process, like mending, like hemming, was seen as a part of a natural, long progression of repair, refinement, alteration.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2025

A gray-haired woman sits on a brown chair, perfectly erect, hemming a calico skirt.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

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