noun
hem
hehm
noun
1
The folded and stitched edge of a piece of clothing or fabric, meant to stop it from fraying.
"The tailor took up the hem of the trousers so they would sit right at the ankle."
"She caught her heel on the hem of her dress and nearly tripped."
verb
1
To sew a folded edge onto fabric, or (in the phrase "hem in") to surround and restrict someone or something.
"She hemmed the curtains herself instead of paying a seamstress."
"The village was hemmed in by mountains on every side."
interjection
1
A throat-clearing sound made to fill a pause, show hesitation, or grab attention.
""Hem," he said, stalling for time before answering the awkward question."
How to Use Hem
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often the stitched edge of clothing (a hemline), or the phrase "hemmed in", meaning boxed in or restricted.
Common pairings
hem a skirt
hemmed in by
take up the hem
let down the hem
Word Forms
hemmed past tense, hemmed past tense, hems plural, hems plural, Hems plural, hems singular, hems singular
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The tailor took up the _____ of the trousers so they would sit right at the ankle.
Etymology
An imitative word — it simply mimics the sound of someone clearing their throat.