As a noun: the edges of fabric that are folded and sewn to finish or prevent fraying. As a verb: third-person singular present tense of 'hem,' meaning to sew or fold the edge of fabric.
From Old English hemm, originally referring to a border or edge. The verb usage developed from the noun as the practical action of creating hems became common in sewing.
The phrase 'hem and haw' (to hesitate) comes from the verb 'hem'—early speakers noticed that people often made hm-sounds while thinking, literally pausing at the verbal border between silence and speech, just as hems create a border between fabric and open edge.
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