hem

1. Used to fill in the gap of a pause with a vocalized sound.

   "Hem! hem! however there will be a by-place for me behind the stove."

   1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 195

plural hems

1. An utterance or sound of the voice like "hem", often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention.

   his morning hems

   January 8, 1712', John Dryden, The Spectator No. 269

present singular third person hems · participle present hemming · participle past hemmed · past hemmed

1. To make the sound expressed by the word hem; to hesitate in speaking.

   Hem, and stroke thy beard.

   1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]

   1 more example

   “Sit down,” said the young man, gruffly. “He’ll be in soon.” I obeyed; and hemmed, and called the villain Juno, who deigned, at this second interview, to move the extreme tip of her tail, in token of owning my acquaintance.

   1847 December, Ellis Bell [pseudonym; Emily Brontë], chapter II, in Wuthering Heights: […], volume I, London: Thomas Cautley Newby, […], →OCLC

plural hems

1. businessThe border of an article of clothing doubled back and stitched together to finish the edge and prevent it from fraying.
2. A rim or margin of something.

   Entombed upon the very hem o' th' sea

   c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv]

3. In sheet metal design, a rim or edge folded back on itself to create a smooth edge and to increase strength or rigidity.

present singular third person hems · participle present hemming · participle past hemmed · past hemmed

1. intransitivebusinessTo make a hem.
2. transitiveTo put hem on an article of clothing, to edge or put a border on something.
3. transitiveTo shut in, enclose, confine; to surround something or someone in a confining way.

   A small yard hemmed about by a tall hedge.

   1 more example

   He’s in the saddle now. Fall in! Steady, the whole brigade! Hill’s at the ford, cut off — we’ll win his way out, ball and blade! What matter if our shoes are worn? What matter if our feet are torn? “Quick step! We’re with him before the morn!” That’s “Stonewall Jackson’s Way.” The sun’s bright lances rout the mists of morning, and by George! Here’s Longstreet struggling in the lists, hemmed in an ugly gorge. Pope and his Yankees, whipped before, “Bay’nets and grape!” hear Stonewall roar; “Charge, Stuart! Pay off Ashby’s score!” in “Stonewall Jackson’s Way.

   1862, John Williamson Palmer, Stonewall Jackson's Way

1. obsoleteObsolete form of 'em.

   Except we make hem such.

   1598, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

   5 more examples

   And wente to the kinge and to the queene, and said to hem with a glad cheer.

   1481, William Caxton, The Historie of Reynart the Foxe

   For eyther of hem mayntened.

   1485, William Caxton, Paris and Vienne

   ‘What thinke you of this English, tel me I pray you.’ ‘It is a language that wyl do you good in England but passe Dover, it is woorth nothing.’ ‘Is it not used then in other countreyes?’ ‘No sir, with whom wyl you that they speake?’ ‘With English marchants.’ ‘English marchantes, when they are out of England, it liketh hem not, and they doo not speake it.

   1591, John Florio, Second Frutes to be gathered of twelve trees, of diverse but delightful tastes to the tongues of Italian and English

   Tho to the greene wood they speeden hem all.

   1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “May. Ægloga Quinta.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC

   They go forth on Holydays and gather hem by the seashore.

   1605 August (first performance), Geo[rge] Chapman, Ben Ionson, Ioh[n] Marston, Eastward Hoe. […], London: […] [George Eld] for William Aspley, published September 1605, →OCLC, (please specify the page)

plural Hems

1. A surname.