hem

hem¹

H0139700 (hĕm)n.1. An edge or border on a piece of cloth, especially a finished edge, as for a garment or curtain, made by folding an edge under and stitching it down.2. The height or level of the bottom edge of a skirt, dress, or coat; a hemline.tr.v. hemmed, hem·ming, hems 1. To fold back and stitch down the edge of.2. To surround and shut in; enclose: a valley hemmed in by mountains. See Synonyms at enclose.

[Middle English, from Old English hem, hemm.]

hem′mer n.

hem²

H0139700 (hĕm)n. A short cough or clearing of the throat made especially to gain attention, warn another, hide embarrassment, or fill a pause in speech.intr.v. hemmed, hem·ming, hems 1. To utter a hem.2. To hesitate in speech.Idiom: hem and haw To be hesitant and indecisive; equivocate: "a leader who cannot make up his or her mind, never knows what to do, hems and haws" (Margaret Thatcher).

[From Middle English heminge, coughing, of imitative origin.]

hem

(hɛm) n1. (Knitting & Sewing) an edge to a piece of cloth, made by folding the raw edge under and stitching it down2. (Clothing & Fashion) an edge to a piece of cloth, made by folding the raw edge under and stitching it down3. (Knitting & Sewing) short for hemlinevb (tr) , hems, hemming or hemmed4. (Knitting & Sewing) to provide with a hem5. (usually foll by: in, around, or about) to enclose or confine[Old English hemm; related to Old Frisian hemme enclosed land]

hem

(hɛm) n, interja representation of the sound of clearing the throat, used to gain attention, express hesitation, etcvb, hems, hemming or hemmed1. (intr) to utter this sound2. hem and haw hum and haw to hesitate in speaking or in making a decision

hem¹

(hɛm)

v. hemmed, hem•ming,
n. v.t. 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 (usu. fol. by in, around, or about): hemmed in by enemies. n. 3. an edge made by folding back the margin of cloth and sewing it down. 4. the bottom edge or border of a garment, drape, etc. 5. the edge, border, or margin of anything. [before 1000; Middle English hem(m)] hem′mer, n.

hem²

(hɛm)

interj., n., v. hemmed, hem•ming. interj. 1. (an utterance resembling a slight clearing of the throat, used esp. to attract attention or express doubt or hesitation.) n. 2. the utterance or sound of “hem.” v.i. 3. to utter the sound “hem.” 4. to hesitate in speaking. Idioms: hem and haw, a. to hesitate or falter while speaking. b. to avoid giving a direct answer. [1520–30; imitative]

hem-

var. of hemo- before a vowel: hemagglutinate. Also, esp. Brit., haem-.

hem

Past participle: hemmed
Gerund: hemming

Imperative
hem
hem

Present
I hem
you hem
he/she/it hems
we hem
you hem
they hem

Preterite
I hemmed
you hemmed
he/she/it hemmed
we hemmed
you hemmed
they hemmed

Present Continuous
I am hemming
you are hemming
he/she/it is hemming
we are hemming
you are hemming
they are hemming

Present Perfect
I have hemmed
you have hemmed
he/she/it has hemmed
we have hemmed
you have hemmed
they have hemmed

Past Continuous
I was hemming
you were hemming
he/she/it was hemming
we were hemming
you were hemming
they were hemming

Past Perfect
I had hemmed
you had hemmed
he/she/it had hemmed
we had hemmed
you had hemmed
they had hemmed

Future
I will hem
you will hem
he/she/it will hem
we will hem
you will hem
they will hem

Future Perfect
I will have hemmed
you will have hemmed
he/she/it will have hemmed
we will have hemmed
you will have hemmed
they will have hemmed

Future Continuous
I will be hemming
you will be hemming
he/she/it will be hemming
we will be hemming
you will be hemming
they will be hemming

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been hemming
you have been hemming
he/she/it has been hemming
we have been hemming
you have been hemming
they have been hemming

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been hemming
you will have been hemming
he/she/it will have been hemming
we will have been hemming
you will have been hemming
they will have been hemming

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been hemming
you had been hemming
he/she/it had been hemming
we had been hemming
you had been hemming
they had been hemming

Conditional
I would hem
you would hem
he/she/it would hem
we would hem
you would hem
they would hem

Past Conditional
I would have hemmed
you would have hemmed
he/she/it would have hemmed
we would have hemmed
you would have hemmed
they would have hemmed

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	hem - the edge of a piece of cloth; especially the finished edge that has been doubled under and stitched down; "the hem of her dress was stained"; "let down the hem"; "he stitched weights into the curtain's hem"; "it seeped along the hem of his jacket"edge - the outside limit of an object or area or surface; a place farthest away from the center of something; "the edge of the leaf is wavy"; "she sat on the edge of the bed"; "the water's edge"cloth, fabric, textile, material - artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress"
	2.	hem - the utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat; intended to get attention, express hesitancy, fill a pause, hide embarrassment, warn a friend, etc.ahemutterance, vocalization - the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
Verb	1.	hem - fold over and sew together to provide with a hem; "hem my skirt"sew, sew together, stitch, run up - fasten by sewing; do needlework
	2.	hem - utter `hem' or `ahem'let loose, let out, utter, emit - express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words); "She let out a big heavy sigh"; "He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand"

hem

noun edge, border, margin, trimming, fringe Cut a jagged edge along the hem to give a ragged look.hem something or someone in1. surround, edge, border, skirt, confine, enclose, shut in, hedge in, environ Manchester is hemmed in by greenbelt countryside.2. restrict, confine, beset, circumscribe hemmed in by rigid, legal contracts

hem

verb1. To shut in on all sides:begird, beset, circle, compass, encircle, encompass, environ, gird, girdle, hedge, ring, surround.2. To surround and advance upon:besiege, close in, enclose, envelop, hedge.

Translations

折边缝边

hem

(hem) noun the border of a piece of clothing, folded over and sewn. 折边 verb – past tense, past participle hemmed – to make a hem on (a piece of clothing). I've hemmed the skirt.缝边hem in to surround (someone). The soldiers were hemmed in on all sides by the enemy.包围

hem

deliberate over (someone or something)

To consider, discuss, or confer about someone or something, often for a lengthy period of time. This is a big decision, so I need some more time to deliberate over it with my family, all right?See also: deliberate, over

hem and haw

To speak in an evasive, vague, roundabout way in order to avoid responding to a question or making a definite statement. The phrase comes from the common filler words often used by habit or when one is deciding what to say. How much longer do we have to hear this guy hem and haw? I wish they would get on with the debate.See also: and, haw, hem

hem in

1. To surround someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "hem" and "in." The police have hemmed in the burglars so that they can't escape from this area. It's very disappointing that towering mansions now completely hem in my little home.2. To limit what someone or something can do. A noun or pronoun can be used between "hem" and "in." The terms of this contract really have me hemmed in—even my lawyer can't see a way out.See also: hem

fence in

1. To construct a fence around a particular area or thing. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fence" and "in." When our kids were little, we fenced our pool in so that they wouldn't be able to access it.2. To restrict or limit someone. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fence" and "around." If you already signed a contract with them, I'm afraid you're fenced in.See also: fence

fence someone in

to restrict someone in some way. I don't want to fence you in, but you have to get home earlier at night. Don't try to fence me in. I need a lot of freedom. Your last stupid move fenced in the department, making us less effective.See also: fence

fence something in

to enclose an area within a fence. When they fenced the garden in, they thought the deer wouldn't be able to destroy the flowers. We fenced in the yard to make a safe place for the children.See also: fence

hem and haw (around)

Inf. to be uncertain about something; to be evasive; to say "ah" and "eh" when speaking—avoiding saying something meaningful. Stop hemming and hawing around. I want an answer. Don't just hem and haw around. Speak up. We want to hear what you think.See also: and, haw, hem

hem someone or something in

Fig. to trap or enclose someone or something. The large city buildings hem me in. Don't hem in the bird. Let it have a way to escape.See also: hem

fence in

Also, hem in. Restrict or confine someone, as in He wanted to take on more assignments but was fenced in by his contract, or Their father was old-fashioned and the children were hemmed in by his rules. Both expressions transfer a literal form of enclosure to a figurative one. The first gained currency from a popular song in the style of a cowboy folk song by Cole Porter, "Don't Fence Me In" (1944), in which the cowboy celebrates open land and starry skies. The variant is much older, dating from the late 1500s. See also: fence

hem and haw

Be hesitant and indecisive; avoid committing oneself, as in When asked about their wedding date, she hemmed and hawed, or The President hemmed and hawed about new Cabinet appointments. This expression imitates the sounds of clearing one's throat. [Late 1700s] See also: and, haw, hem

hem and haw

BRITISH, AMERICAN or

hum and haw

BRITISHIf you hem and haw or hum and haw, you take a long time to say something because you cannot think of the right words, or because you are not sure what to say. Tim hemmed and hawed, but finally told his boss the truth. My mother hummed and hawed at first, but eventually she sent her agreement. Note: People sometimes use hum and ha with the same meaning. Abu hummed and ha-ed a little.See also: and, haw, hem

hem in

v.1. To surround and enclose someone or something: Tall mountains hemmed in the valley. The troops hemmed their enemy in on all sides.2. To restrict or confine someone or something: Don't hem me in with all these regulations. The police hemmed in the rowdy crowd.See also: hem

hem and haw

To be hesitant and indecisive; equivocate: "a leader who cannot make up his or her mind, never knows what to do, hems and haws" (Margaret Thatcher).See also: and, haw, hem

hem and haw, to

To avoid giving a definite answer. This expression is imitative of the sounds made in clearing the throat or making a slight noise to attract attention, signify agreement, or express doubt. Its use to express indecision began in the early eighteenth century. Jonathan Swift’s poem “My Lady’s Lamentation” (1728) had one version: “He haws and he hums. At last out it comes.” Much later Bliss Carman defined it poetically: “Hem and Haw were the sons of sin, created to shally and shirk; Hem lay ’round and Haw looked on while God did all the work” (“Hem and Haw,” 1896). See also: and, hem

hem and haw

To refuse to give a definite answer. “Hem,” similar in derivation to the interjection “ahem,” meant to hesitate. “Haw” meant much the same sense of being noncommittal. Combine the two, and you have someone who's stalling for time and hoping not to have to respond any further.See also: and, haw, hem

hem

hem 1

hem 2

hem

hem

hem1

hem2

hem-

hem

hem

hem

hem

hem

deliberate over (someone or something)

hem and haw

hem in

fence in

fence someone in

fence something in

hem and haw (around)

hem someone or something in

fence in

hem and haw

hem and haw

hum and haw

hem in

hem and haw

hem and haw, to

hem and haw

hem

hem

HEM

hem

Synonyms for hem

noun edge

Synonyms

phrase hem something or someone in: surround

Synonyms

phrase hem something or someone in: restrict

Synonyms

Synonyms for hem

verb to shut in on all sides

Synonyms

verb to surround and advance upon

Synonyms

Synonyms for hem

noun the edge of a piece of cloth

Related Words

noun the utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat

Synonyms

Related Words

verb fold over and sew together to provide with a hem

Related Words

verb utter 'hem' or 'ahem'

Related Words

hem¹

hem²

hem¹

hem²