hem

1 of 5

noun

ˈhem 

1

: a border of a cloth article doubled back and stitched down

2

: rim, margin

bright green hem of reeds about the ponds

—R. M. Lockley

hem

2 of 5

verb (1)

hemmed; hemming

transitive verb

1

a

: to finish with a hem

b

: border, edge

2

: to surround in a restrictive manner : confine

—usually used with in

hemmed in by enemy troops

intransitive verb

: to make a hem in sewing

hemmer noun

hem

3 of 5

verb (2)

ˈhem 

hemmed; hemming

intransitive verb

1

: to utter the sound represented by hem

hemmed and hawed before answering

2

: equivocate

the administration hemmed and hawed over the students' demands

hem

4 of 5

interjection

usually read as

ˈhem 

—often used to indicate a vocalized pause in speaking

hem-

5 of 5

combining form

variants or hemo-

: blood

hemagglutination

hemoflagellate

Synonyms

Noun

• border
• borderline
• bound
• boundary
• brim
• circumference
• compass
• confines
• edge
• edging
• end
• frame
• fringe
• margin
• perimeter
• periphery
• rim
• skirt
• skirting
• verge

Verb (1)

• box (in)
• cage
• closet
• coop (up)
• corral
• encage
• encase
• enclose
• inclose
• envelop
• fence (in)
• hedge
• house
• immure
• include
• mew (up)
• pen
• wall (in)

Examples of hem in a Sentence

Noun

shorten the hem of the dress

the hem of the blouse was gold

Verb (1)

a village hemmed in on all sides by mountains

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Beckham chose not to tailor the hem of her pants, but wear them in an extreme single cuff which hovered ever so slightly off the ground. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024

The set is half nightclub, half car crash, just like the Roaring Twenties; all the characters’ costumes have dirty hems, as though to semaphore that none of them have quite risen above the muck of the American dream. —Lauren Groff, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2024

Verb

Paddle the mile from the Salmon Run Boat Launch to Pirate’s Cove, an inlet hemmed in by overhanging sandstone cliffs, where a waterfall tumbles directly into the water. —Graham Averill, Outside Online, 14 July 2024

His proofs were outstanding for their brilliance, but also for their unconventional creativity and insight, in part, it was believed, because they were not hemmed in by convention. —Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Middle High German hemmen to hem in, Armenian kamel to press

Interjection

imitative

Combining form

Latin haem-, haemo-, from Greek haim-, haimo-, from haima

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Interjection

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hem

• hem and haw

Kids Definition

hem

1 of 5 noun

ˈhem 

: a border of a garment or cloth made by folding back an edge and sewing it down

hem

2 of 5 verb

hemmed; hemming

1

: to finish with or make a hem in sewing

2

: to surround in a confining manner

a town hemmed in by mountains

hemmer noun

hem

3 of 5 verb

hemmed; hemming

1

: to make a sound during a pause in speaking which is usually written as hem

2

: to hesitate in speaking

hem

4 of 5 interjection

a throat-​clearing sound; often read as

ˈhem 

—often used to indicate a pause in speaking

hem-

5 of 5 combining form

variants or hemo-

: blood

Etymology

Noun

Old English hem "border on a garment"

Interjection

an imitation of the throat-clearing sound

Combining form

derived from Greek haima "blood"