hem
noun
[ hɛm ]
• the edge of a piece of cloth or clothing which has been turned under and sewn.
• "the hem of her dress"
hem
verb
• turn under and sew the edge of (a piece of cloth).
• "she began to hem a border"
• surround and restrict the space or movement of someone or something.
• "he was hemmed in by the tables"
Similar:
surround,
border,
edge,
encircle,
circle,
ring,
enclose,
skirt,
flank,
fringe,
encompass,
gird,
girdle,
engird,
restrict,
confine,
trap,
kettle,
close in,
shut in,
hedge in,
fence in,
pen in,
box in,
keep within bounds,
immure,
constrain,
restrain,
limit,
circumscribe,
curb,
check,
corral,
compass,
Origin:
Old English‘border of a piece of cloth’, of West Germanic origin. The verb senses date from the mid 16th century.
hem
exclamation
• used in writing to indicate a sound made when coughing or clearing the throat to attract attention or to express hesitation.
hem
verb
• make a sound in the throat when hesitating or as a signal.
• "Jane, if any one is about, come to the foot of the stairs and hem"
Origin:
late 15th century: imitative.
haem-
combining form
• variant spelling of haemo- shortened before a vowel (as in haemangioma ).
