Hem vs Hen - What's the difference?
hem | hen |
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.
(dialectal) To throw.
A female bird.
(specifically ) A female chicken, especially one kept for its eggs.
* , title=The Mirror and the Lamp
, chapter=2 (slang) A woman.
(informal) The woman whose impending marriage is being celebrated at a hen night.
As an interjection hem
is used to fill in the gap of a pause with a vocalized sound.As a noun hem
is an utterance or sound of the voice like "hem", often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention or hem can be (sewing) the border of an article of clothing doubled back and stitched together to finish the edge and prevent it from fraying.As a verb hem
is to make the sound expressed by the word hem ; to hesitate in speaking or hem can be (in sewing) to make a hem.As a pronoun hem
is .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
* ----hen
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) henne, heonne, hinne, from earlier henene, heonenen, henen, from (etyl) heonan, hionan, heonane, . See also (l).Etymology 2
From , or a variant of hench.Verb
(henn)Etymology 3
From (etyl), from (etyl) henn, .Alternative forms
* (l) (obsolete)Noun
(en noun)citation, passage=She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace, […]; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen , the way she talked to the waiters and the maid, […]—all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth, and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.}}