From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhemhem1 /hem/ noun [countable] DCCthe edge of a piece of cloth that is turned under and stitched down, especially the lower edge of a skirt, trousers etc► see thesaurus at edge
Examples from the Corpus
hem• There are two zipped pockets and knitted hem and cuffs.• The peripheral hem blew back over the canopy, dividing it into two lobes.• The gun hangs down below the hem of her skirt.• Through the Moon, the hems become linked to the body power of menstruation.• The arms of the tee shirt barely rounded the curve of his shoulders, the hem hung an inch above his navel.• Justice Thomas is on the court, with mud clinging to the hem of his robe.hemhem2 verb (hemmed, hemming) 1 [transitive]DCC to turn under the edge of a piece of material or clothing and stitch it in place2 → hem and haw → hem somebody/something ↔ in→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
hem• Soares hemmed a bit, then admitted he had been speeding.• He hemmed, he hawed, he guffawed.• Depression had descended on her, hemmed in by all these people, driving along a straight dreary road.• She is, however, hemmed in by the Adversary.• From the very start he has been the man in the middle, thwarted in front and hemmed in on the rear.• As employees feel themselves hemmed in, they become frustrated and angry.• Either way Norman Lamont is hemmed in with little scope for escape.Origin hem1 Old English 