hem up
B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To fold up the bottom of a piece of clothing and sew it so it's the right length.
Literal meaning: To fold the hem (the edge of fabric) upward.
Meanings
1 B1 neutral
To fold and stitch the bottom edge of a garment or fabric upward to shorten or finish it.
"The tailor hemmed up the trousers while I waited, so they were ready in twenty minutes."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Primarily used in sewing and tailoring contexts. More common in American English; British English speakers often say 'take up' a hem. Everyday vocabulary for anyone who sews or visits a tailor.
Commonly used with
trousers dress skirt curtains jeans suit
Forms
Base
hem up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hems up
he/she/it
Past simple
hemed up
yesterday
Past participle
hemed up
have + pp
-ing form
heming up
continuous
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