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Dictionary:

hem1

  (hĕm) pronunciation
n.
  1. An edge or border on a piece of cloth, especially a finished edge, as for a garment or curtain, made by folding an edge under and stitching it down.
  2. The height or level of the bottom edge of a skirt, dress, or coat; a hemline.
tr.v., hemmed, hem·ming, hems.
  1. To fold back and stitch down the edge of.
  2. To surround and shut in; enclose: a valley hemmed in by mountains. See synonyms at enclose.

[Middle English, from Old English hem, hemm.]

hemmer hem'mer n.
hem2 (hĕm) pronunciation
n.

A short cough or clearing of the throat made especially to gain attention, warn another, hide embarrassment, or fill a pause in speech.

intr.v., hemmed, hem·ming, hems.
  1. To utter a hem.
  2. To hesitate in speech.
idiom:

hem and haw

  1. To be hesitant and indecisive; equivocate: “a leader who cannot make up his or her mind, never knows what to do, hems and haws” (Margaret Thatcher).

[From Middle English heminge, coughing, of imitative origin.]


 
 

verb

  1. To shut in on all sides: begird, beset, circle, compass, encircle, encompass, environ, gird, girdle, hedge, ring1, surround. See open/close.
  2. To surround and advance upon: besiege, close in, enclose, envelop, hedge. See open/close.

 
Antonyms: hem

n

Definition: border, edge
Antonyms: body, center, interior


 

The projecting spiral of a volute of an Ionic capital.


 
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: n. - Lap that forms a cloth border doubled back and stitched down; An expression used as a "filler" in conversation.

pronunciation If your hem comes out, you can use a stapler as a quick fix.

 

To hem a piece of cloth (in sewing), a garment worker folds up a cut edge, folds it up again, and then sews it down. The process of hemming thus completely encloses the cut edge in cloth, so that it cannot ravel.

A hem is also the edge of cloth treated in this manner. It is often used to mean the bottom edge of a garment such as a skirt, robe or dress.

The hem may be sewn down with a line of invisible hem-stitch or blind-stitch or sewn down by a sewing machine, usually leaving a visible line of sewing. Modern sewing machines can make many decorative or functional stitches, so the number of possible hem treatments is large. Machines can also sew a reasonable facsimile of a hem-stitch, though the stitches will usually be larger and more visible. Most haute couture hems are sewn by hand for this reason.

Heavy material with deep hems may be hemmed with what is called a dress-maker's hem — an extra line of loose running stitch is added in the middle of the hem, so that all the weight of the cloth does not hang from one line of stitching.

The term hem is also extended to other cloth treatments that prevent raveling. Hems can be serged (see serger), hand rolled and then sewn down with tiny stitches (still seen as a high-class finish to handkerchiefs), pinked with pinking shears, piped, covered with binding (this is known as a Hong Kong finish), or made with many other inventive treatments.

Hem repair

Hem Repair Tape
Enlarge
Hem Repair Tape


Hems are often ripped and require repair.

The usual method of repairing ripped hems is to resew them. Many stores sell tiny "sewing kits" with scissors, needle and thread for minor repairs. Such kits may work as an immediate fix (as will safety pins), but the hem may have to be resewn later with matching thread.

An item called "hem repair tape" can also be used. It is placed inside of the hem and ironed. The heat of the iron melts glue on the tape, gluing the hem shut. Sewing professionals do not like this method because the glue can stiffen the fabric and make the hem hang badly. This kind of repair can also be difficult to remove later.


 
Translations: Translations for: Hem

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - kant, kantning, søm
v. tr. - kante, sømme

idioms:

  • hem in    begrænse, indeslutte

2.
int. - hm, øhøm
n. - rømmen
v. intr. - rømme sig

idioms:

  • hem and haw    hakke og stamme

Nederlands (Dutch)
zoom, kuchje, zomen, hummen, aandacht trekken, twijfel

Français (French)
1.
n. - ourlet
v. tr. - ourler, faire un ourlet à

idioms:

  • hem in    cerner, être cerné, (fig) se sentir coincé par

2.
int. - hem, hem (excl)
n. - raclement de la gorge
v. intr. - faire hem hem

idioms:

  • hem and haw    balbutier, hésiter

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Saum, Rand
v. - säumen

idioms:

  • hem in    einschließen

2.
int. - Hmm, hum
n. - Räuspern, Hm
v. - sich räuspern

idioms:

  • hem and haw    herumdrucksen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - αναγύρισμα, στρίφωμα, ρέλι, ούγια, ποδόγυρος
v. - ρελιάζω, στριφώνω, (μτφ.) περικλείω, περικυκλώνω, (καθομ.) ξεροβήχω, κομπιάζω
int. - χμ!

idioms:

  • hem and haw    κομπιάζω
  • hem in    μπλοκάρω, περικλείω, περικυκλώνω

Italiano (Italian)
orlare, orlo

idioms:

  • hem and haw    temporeggiare, esitare
  • hem in    circondare

Português (Portuguese)
n. - bainha (f), beira (f)
v. - fazer bainha em
int. - som (m) de limpar a garganta (pigarro)

idioms:

  • hem and haw    pigarrear buscando palavras
  • hem in    cercar (pessoa, tropas)

Русский (Russian)
подрубочный шов, кайма, кромка, подрубать, окаймлять

idioms:

  • hem and haw    запинаться
  • hem in    осадить со всех сторон

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - dobladillo, borde, orilla
v. tr. - bastillar, dobladillar, repulgar

idioms:

  • hem in    encerrar, rodear

2.
int. - sonido utilizado para llamar la atención o expresar duda
n. - la emisión de dicha palabra o sonido
v. intr. - pronunciar dicha palabra o sonido, vacilar o dudar en medio de un discurso

idioms:

  • hem and haw    tartalear, titubear, vacilar

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - fåll, kant, brädd
v. - fålla, kanta, humma, tveka
int. - hm!

中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
1. 褶边, 褶缝, 边, 边沿, 卷边, 给...缝边, 禁闭, 包围

idioms:

  • hem and haw    吞吞吐吐
  • hem in    包围

2. 哼声, 发哼声, 说话吞吞吐吐, 清嗓子

中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 褶邊, 褶縫, 邊, 邊沿, 捲邊
v. tr. - 給...縫邊, 禁閉, 包圍

idioms:

  • hem and haw    吞吞吐吐
  • hem in    包圍

2.
n. - 哼聲
v. intr. - 發哼聲, 說話吞吞吐吐, 清嗓子

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 가장자리, 경계
v. tr. - ~을 에워싸다, ~의 가장자리에 감치다

idioms:

  • hem in    에워싸다, ~을 포위하다

2.
int. - 에헴
n. - 헛기침
v. intr. - 에헴하다, 헛기침하다, 중얼거리다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - へり, 咳払い
v. - 縁を取る, 縁縫いをする, エヘンと言う, 言いよどむ, へりを取る
int. - ヘン, えへん, へん

idioms:

  • hem and haw    口ごもる
  • hem in    取り巻く, 閉じ込める, 束縛する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) حاشيه, هدب, حافه, تنحنح, نحنحه (فعل) يجعل للثوب حاشيه أو يهدب, يجعل للشئ حافه, يحصر, يطوق, يتنحنح, يتردد في الكلام (نداء) يصدر مثل هذا الصوت من الجزء الخلفي من الحنجرة بقصد لفت النظر إلى توريه أو تلاعب, لفظي أو غمز مبطن أو بينما يتردد في الكلام‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שפה, שולי-הבגד, מכפלת‬
v. tr. - ‮עשה שוליים, שיפה (בגד)‬
n. - ‮המ- (קול המהום)‬
v. intr. - ‮גמגם, המהם, כחכח, היסס‬


 
 

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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