hem
/hem/ (bre, ipa) · [hˈɛm] /hem/ (ame, ipa) · [hˈɛm] /ˈhem/ (ame, mw)
hem — noun
- hemsingular
- hemsplural
1. the folded and stitched border on a garment or piece of fabric that gives it a c
the folded and stitched border on a garment or piece of fabric that gives it a clean finish where the material would otherwise fray
Yael noticed that the hem of her skirt had come undone after the party.
noun + of + clothing item for the location
The tailor suggested a deeper hem for Reuben's new trousers so they would hang better.
collocation: deep hem / shallow hem
Jiwoo carefully measured the hem before sewing it with small, even stitches.
Reema asked the tailor to shorten the hem of her wedding dress by five centimetres.
用法筆記
The hem is typically at the bottom of skirts, dresses, trousers, sleeves, or curtains. The related word 'hemline' refers to the specific length or bottom edge of a skirt or dress.
常見錯誤
hem — verb
- hempresent simple I / you / we / they
- hems3rd person singular
- hemming-ing form
- hemmedpast simple
1. to fold over and stitch the edge of a piece of cloth or clothing so that it has
to fold over and stitch the edge of a piece of cloth or clothing so that it has a neat finished edge without loose threads
Emre learned to hem his own trousers in the sewing class at school.
hem + possessive + garment (direct object)
Camila hemmed the curtains after shortening them by ten centimetres.
Sirin spent the whole afternoon hemming the tablecloth for the wedding.
Jack hemmed his new school trousers the night before classes started.
The old sewing machine in the corner can hem up to fifty dresses in a single day.
文法句型
hem + noun phrase (the garment or cloth)
用法筆記
The object is usually the piece of clothing or fabric being altered, not the person wearing it. 'Hem up' is a common phrasal variant meaning to shorten by sewing a new hem.
常見錯誤
2. to make a short sound like a quiet cough or a clearing of the throat, often to a
to make a short sound like a quiet cough or a clearing of the throat, often to attract someone's attention or to show hesitation before speaking
Théo hemmed loudly to get the waiter's attention across the busy restaurant.
hemmed + adverb for the manner
Tunde cleared his throat and hemmed twice before beginning his speech.
idiomatic pair: hem and haw
The teacher hemmed and looked at the clock, signalling that the lesson was over.
The librarian hemmed gently to remind the students to keep their voices down.
Whenever the reporter asked about the missing money, the manager would hem and look away.
- ahem
the written form of the same sound; used as an interjection
- clear one's throat
a fuller physical description of the same action
文法句型
hem (to make the sound)
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'hem and haw' meaning to hesitate or be indecisive when speaking. The sound is often written as 'ahem' in text.