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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

In his hands a wafer-thin passage of clay becomes the fluttering hem of the Virgin’s mantle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

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 ● Feb. 12, 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

Invariably, Mitchell said, “the guy would hem and haw,” then opt for treatment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2024

Cassiopeia wiped her mouth on the hem of her dress.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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

From New York Times ● Dec. 26, 2013

Rescue operations had yet to begin when AFP arrived, with the site hemmed in by high-rise buildings, complicating efforts.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

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

Any new tool needs to be easily triggered, avoiding the lengthy arguments among capitals that have hemmed in European action in the past.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 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

She had awakened when Lazlo did, then collapsed back on her pillows, squeezing her eyes tight shut to block out the sight of the mesarthium walls and ceiling that hemmed her in.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Begum, who did not give her first name, told AFP she had been turned away by many factories in Gazipur despite having experience in sewing and hemming.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 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

"The hemming wasn't right, the length wasn't right. You either go on parade right or you don't go at all."

From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2026

“They’re rolling their eyes at the price, hemming and hawing about it, but if people drink cold brew, they’re getting their cold brew,” said Pedeaux.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2025

The bone ships surged closer, hemming us in, and I looked around wildly for some way to escape.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

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