What does hemmer mean?
A hemmer is a worker who hems fabric, especially one employed to finish garment edges in a factory or workshop. The word can also denote a machine or sewing-machine attachment that folds and stitches a hem. Its use is therefore connected closely with garment production and the careful finishing of textiles. In the person sense, the word has a practical, occupational character and may suggest a traditional workshop or industrial setting; in the mechanical sense, it belongs to specialized textile terminology. Hemmer is not a general everyday word, but it efficiently identifies both the maker of a finished edge and, in some contexts, the equipment used to create one. The word is formed from the English noun hem, meaning a sewn or finished border at the edge of cloth, together with the productive suffix -er, which can identify the person performing an action or the machine carrying it out.
nounA person whose work is to hem fabric or garments, especially in a garment factory; also a machine or machine attachment used to fold and stitch hems.
- A person whose work is to hem fabric or garments.
- A machine or sewing-machine attachment used to fold and stitch a hem.
"The factory employs a hemmer to finish the edges of each shirt."
"A hemmer inspected the stitching along the edge of the finished coat."
"The industrial hemmer produced a neat fold along the fabric."
The plural is hemmers, used when referring to several workers of this kind or several machines with the stated function.
"Two hemmers worked at the finishing station of the textile factory."
Hemmer captures an entire craft in one word: it names the person—and sometimes the machine—behind the neat edge of a finished garment.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hemmer come from?
Hemmer is an English formation built from hem, the noun for a finished or sewn border on fabric, and the suffix -er. Hem comes from Old English hemm, an Old English word for an edge or border and a Germanic word ultimately related to forms in languages such as Dutch and Old High German. The suffix -er was then used in English to form a noun identifying someone who performs an action, and it was later applied to a machine performing the same operation.
Related word forms
How hemmer is actually used
This is a specialist term, chiefly associated with British English. The worker sense often has an occupational or traditional-industrial flavor, while the machine sense belongs to textile and sewing terminology.
Easily confused with hemmer
A hemmer hems fabric, whereas a hammer is a tool used for driving nails or striking objects.