hem

1 of 5

noun

ˈhem 

1

: a border of a cloth article doubled back and stitched down

2

: rim, margin

… bright green hem of reeds about the pond …

—R. M. Lockley

hem

2 of 5

verb (1)

hemmed; hemming

transitive verb

1

a

: to finish with a hem

b

: border, edge

2

: to surround in a restrictive manner : confine

—usually used with in

hemmed in by enemy troops

intransitive verb

: to make a hem in sewing

hemmer noun

hem

3 of 5

verb (2)

ˈhem 

hemmed; hemming

intransitive verb

1

: to utter the sound represented by hem

hemmed and hawed before answering

2

: equivocate

the administration hemmed and hawed over the students' demands

hem

4 of 5

interjection

usually read as

ˈhem 

—often used to indicate a vocalized pause in speaking

hem-

5 of 5

combining form

variants or hemo-

: blood

hemagglutination

hemoflagellate

Synonyms of hem

Noun

• edge
• circumference
• perimeter
• edging
• border
• confines
• boundary
• skirt
• rim
• end

Verb (1)

• house
• wall (in)
• box (in)
• fence (in)
• include

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

Noun

The lightweight LyreBird Silky Oversized Pajama Shirt is $58 off and adorned with cherries, while the LyreBird Hearts Scalloped Cropped Pants feature a charming scalloped hem in a flattering cropped cut for 43 percent off. —Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026

The sage green jacket was tailored with a close fit and high neckline, finished with a delicate lace trim along the collar, zipper, hem and sleeves. —Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026

Verb

But the glory days wouldn't last, and Galaxidi, a town with a population of 1,700 people, lost its contact with the outside world, with traffic to its two harbors shrinking and no road connection to the rest of the country, hemmed in by looming mountains. —ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026

The likelihood that one of your friends could hem your pants for you has never been higher. —Matty Merritt, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Middle High German hemmen to hem in, Armenian kamel to press

Interjection

imitative

Combining form

Latin haem-, haemo-, from Greek haim-, haimo-, from haima

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Interjection

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hem

• hem and haw

Rhymes for hem

• clem
• em
• femme
• gem
• phlegm
• rem
• stem
• them
• atm
• chernozem
• diadem
• ibidem

Kids Definition

hem

1 of 5 noun

ˈhem 

: 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 interjection

a 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"