hem

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
hem1

▶noun the edge of a piece of cloth or clothing which has been turned under and sewn. ▶verb (hems, hemming, hemmed)

• 1 turn under and sew the edge of (a piece of cloth).

• 2 (hem someone/thing in) surround and restrict the space or movement of someone or something.

– origin OE ‘the border of a piece of cloth’, of W. Gmc origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
hem2

▶exclamation expressing the sound made when coughing or clearing the throat to attract someone's attention or show hesitation. ▶verb (hems, hemming, hemmed) archaic make such a sound.

– phrases
hem and haw chiefly N. Amer. another way of saying hum and haw (see hum1).

– origin C15: imitative.