|
| hem [ hem ] |
interjection,
noun (plural hems) |
|
| Definition: |
| |
noise made in throat: a word used to represent the sound made by somebody clearing his or her throat or coughing quietly in order to attract attention, warn somebody else, or hide embarrassment or uncertainty
|
intransitive verb (past and past participle hemmed, present participle hem·ming, 3rd person present singular hems) |
|
| Definition: |
| |
hesitate in speech: to make the sound "hem," or otherwise hesitate in speech
|
| [15th century. An imitation of the sound] |
|
hem and haw to hesitate while speaking or deciding something
|
