Definition of "hem"

hem¹

/hɛm/

interjection
1. Used to fill in the gap of a pause with a vocalized sound.
noun
plural hems
1. An utterance or sound of the voice like "hem", often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention.
  Quotations
  his morning hems
  January 8, 1712', John Dryden, The Spectator No. 269
verb
third-person singular simple present hems, present participle hemming, simple past and past participle hemmed
1. To make the sound expressed by the word hem; to hesitate in speaking.
  Quotations
  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, [Act V, scene i]

hem²

/hɛm/

noun
plural hems
1. (sewing) The 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.
  Quotations
  Entombed upon the very hem o' th' sea
  c. 1605–1608, 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, [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.
verb
third-person singular simple present hems, present participle hemming, simple past and past participle hemmed
1. (sewing, intransitive) To make a hem.
2. (transitive) To put hem on an article of clothing, to edge or put a border on something.
3. (transitive) To shut in, enclose, confine; to surround something or someone in a confining way.

hem³

pronoun
1. Obsolete form of 'em.
  Quotations
  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. Aegloga Quinta.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […]; republished as The Shepheardes Calender […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], 1586,
  Except we make hem such.
  1598, Benjamin Jonson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Ben Jonson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)
  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, (please specify the page)

Definition of "hem"

hem1

interjection

noun

Quotations

verb

Quotations

hem2

noun

Quotations

verb

hem3

pronoun

Quotations

hem¹

hem²

hem³