Hem vs Helm - What's the difference?
hem | helm |
An utterance or sound of the voice like "hem", often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention.
* Spectator
To make the sound expressed by the word hem ; to hesitate in speaking.
* Shakespeare
(sewing) The border of an article of clothing doubled back and stitched together to finish the edge and prevent it from fraying.
A rim or margin of something.
* Shakespeare
In sheet metal design, a rim or edge folded back on itself to create a smooth edge and to increase strength or rigidity.
(in sewing) To make a hem.
(transitive): To put hem on an article of clothing, to edge or put a border on something.
(transitive): To surround something or someone in a confining way.
(nautical) The steering apparatus of a ship, especially the tiller or wheel.
(maritime) The member of the crew in charge of steering the boat.
(figurative) A position of leadership or control.
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=January 11
, author=Jonathan Stevenson
, title=West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham
, work=BBC
One at the place of direction or control; a guide; a director.
* Shakespeare
(heraldry) A helmet.
(obsolete, UK, dialect) A helve.
To be a helmsman or a member of the helm; to be in charge of steering the boat.
* Tennyson
(by extension) To lead (a project, etc.).
* 2014 , Malcolm Jack, "
* Shakespeare
(archaic) A helmet.
:* Luken sweord longe, leiden o þe helmen . — Layamon's Brut, 1275
:: (They drew their swords and put on their helmen .)
:* Þe helm of hel and þe swerd of þe Spirit. — An Apology for Lollard Doctrines, Attributed to Wycliffe, 1475
:* The kynge Ban be-gan to laugh vndir his helme . — Merlin, 1500
:* {{quote-book
, year=1927
, year_published=2008
, edition=HTML
, editor=
, author=Edgar Rice Burrows
, title=The Outlaw of Torn
, chapter=
A heavy cloud lying on the brow of a mountain.
As nouns the difference between hem and helm
is that hem is an utterance or sound of the voice like "hem", often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention while helm is the steering apparatus of a ship, especially the tiller or wheel.As verbs the difference between hem and helm
is that hem is to make the sound expressed by the word hem; to hesitate in speaking while helm is to be a helmsman or a member of the helm; to be in charge of steering the boat.As an interjection hem
is used to fill in the gap of a pause with a vocalized sound.As a pronoun hem
is obsolete form of 'em|lang=en.As a proper noun Helm is
the only named wind in the British Isles. Blows westward form the Pennine fells over Cumbria and is often accompanied by a line of clouds on top of the hills called the Helm Bar.hem
English
Etymology 1
A sound uttered in imitation of clearing the throat (onomatopoeia)See also
* ahem * hawNoun
(en noun)- his morning hems
Verb
(hemm)- Hem , and stroke thy beard.
Derived terms
* hem and hawEtymology 2
From Middle English hem, hemm, in turn from Old English hemm and related to Middle High German .Noun
(en noun)- hem of the sea
Derived terms
* touch the hem of someone's garmentVerb
(hemm)Etymology 3
From (etyl) hem, from (etyl) .Anagrams
* ----helm
English
(wikipedia helm)Etymology 1
From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- the helm of the Commonwealth
citation, page= , passage=Grant will be desperate to finish the job of getting West Ham to their first Wembley cup final in 30 years when they meet Birmingham in the second leg at St Andrews on 26 January; though arguably of more pressing concern is whether he will still be at the helm for Saturday's Premier League encounter with Arsenal.}}
- the helms o' the State, who care for you like fathers
Derived terms
* at the helm * take the helmVerb
(en verb)- A wild wave overbears the bark, / And him that helms it.
John Grant with the Royal Northern Sinfonia review – positively spine-tingling", The Guardian , 1 December 2014:
- “I wanted to change the world, but I could not even change my underwear,” sings John Grant at the piano, in a luxuriant baritone croon as thick and healthy as his beard. It’s hard to reconcile the guy who once struggled to so much as put on clean pants back in the bad old days – well-storied, not least through his own songs – with the one warmly and gracefully helming this complex, prestigious production – the penultimate date on a tour of packed concert halls, backed by an orchestra.
- the business he hath helmed
Etymology 2
From (etyl), from (etyl) (m), (etyl) . Compare (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m).Noun
(en-noun)citation, genre= , publisher=The Gutenberg Project , isbn= , page= , passage="A fearful apparition," murmured Norman of Torn. "No wonder he keeps his helm closed." }}
- (Halliwell)