hemmed; hemming
2
: to surround in a restrictive manner : confine
—usually used with in
hemmed in by enemy troops
: to make a hem in sewing
hemmer
noun
hemmed; hemming
1
: to utter the sound represented by hem
hemmed and hawed before answering
2
: equivocate
the administration hemmed and hawed over the students' demands
usually read as
ˈhem 
—often used to indicate a vocalized pause in speaking
Synonyms
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
Nora Colomer, Fox News, 2 Nov. 2024
Rab kept it super-light with elastic at the hem, rather than a draw cord, and just a pair of zippered hand pockets.
—Frederick Reimers, Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2024
Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
Tolstoy has a passage that summarizes Nikolai’s position: A soldier in movement is as hemmed in, limited, and borne along by his regiment as a sailor by his ship.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hem 
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Noun
The jacket comes with a detachable hood that features a high neck and elastic hem to easily block out chilly wind.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 2 Nov. 2024
Rab kept it super-light with elastic at the hem, rather than a draw cord, and just a pair of zippered hand pockets.
—Frederick Reimers, Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
But Trump famously wriggles free from such fetters and resists being hemmed in.
—Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
Tolstoy has a passage that summarizes Nikolai’s position: A soldier in movement is as hemmed in, limited, and borne along by his regiment as a sailor by his ship.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hem
Dictionary Entries Near hem
Cite this Entry
“Hem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hem. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hem
1 of 5 noun
: 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 interjectiona 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"
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