Hem

9 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hem \Hem\, interj.
     An onomatopoetic word used as an expression of hesitation,
     doubt, etc. It is often a sort of voluntary half cough, loud
     or subdued, and would perhaps be better expressed by hm.
     [1913 Webster]
  


           Cough or cry hem, if anybody come.       --Shak.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hem \Hem\ (h[e^]m), pron. [OE., fr. AS. him, heom, dative pl.
     of. h[=e] he. See {He}, {They}.]
     Them [Obs.] --Chaucer.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hem \Hem\, n.
     An utterance or sound of the voice, hem or hm, often
     indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call
     attention. "His morning hems." --Spectator.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hem \Hem\, v. i. [[root]15. See {Hem}, interj.]
     To make the sound expressed by the word hem; hence, to
     hesitate in speaking. "Hem, and stroke thy beard." --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hem \Hem\, n. [AS. hem, border, margin; cf. Fries. h[aum]mel,
     Prov. G. hammel hem of mire or dirt.]
     1. The edge or border of a garment or cloth, doubled over and
        sewed, to strengthen it and prevent raveling.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Border; edge; margin. "Hem of the sea." --Shak.
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     3. A border made on sheet-metal ware by doubling over the
        edge of the sheet, to stiffen it and remove the sharp
        edge.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hem \Hem\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hemmed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Hemming}.]
     1. To form a hem or border to; to fold and sew down the edge
        of. --Wordsworth.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To border; to edge
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              All the skirt about
              Was hemmed with golden fringe.        --Spenser.
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     {To hem about}, {To hem around}, or {To hem in}, to inclose
        and confine; to surround; to environ. "With valiant
        squadrons round about to hem." --Fairfax. "Hemmed in to be
        a spoil to tyranny." --Daniel.
  
     {To hem out}, to shut out. "You can not hem me out of
        London." --J. Webster.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hem
       n : lap that forms a cloth border doubled back and stitched down
       v 1: fold over and sew together to provide with a hem; "hem my
            skirt"
       2: utter `hem' or `ahem'
       [also: {hemming}, {hemmed}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  117 Moby Thesaurus words for "hem":
     adjoin, bank, bar, beading, befringe, begird, beset, bind, binding,
     board, border, bordering, bordure, bound, box, box in, box up,
     brim, brink, brow, bulkhead in, cage, circle, circumscribe,
     close in, coast, confine, corral, cramp, define, edge, edging,
     encircle, encompass, enframe, envelop, falter, featheredge, fence,
     fimbria, fimbriation, flange, flounce, frame, frill, frilling,
     fringe, furbelow, galloon, gird, girdle, halt, haw, hedge,
     hem and haw, hem in, hesitate, hum, hum and haw, immure,
     keep from spreading, keep within bounds, labellum, labium, labrum,
     lap, ledge, limb, limbus, limit, line, lip, list, localize, mammer,
     march, marge, margin, marginate, motif, narrow, pale, palisade,
     pen, perimeter, periphery, picket, purfle, purl, qualify,
     ragged edge, rail, restrict, rim, ring, round, ruffle, selvage,
     set off, shore, shut, side, sideline, skirt, skirting, stammer,
     stint, stumble, stutter, surround, tighten, trim, trimming,
     valance, verge, wall, welt
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Hem
     of a garment, the fringe of a garment. The Jews attached much
     importance to these, because of the regulations in Num. 15:38,
     39. These borders or fringes were in process of time enlarged so
     as to attract special notice (Matt. 23:5). The hem of Christ's
     garment touched (9:20; 14:36; Luke 8:44).