AHEM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does ahem mean? 

• AHEM (noun)
  The noun AHEM has 1 sense:

1. the utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat; intended to get attention, express hesitancy, fill a pause, hide embarrassment, warn a friend, etc.

  Familiarity information: AHEM used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AHEM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat; intended to get attention, express hesitancy, fill a pause, hide embarrassment, warn a friend, etc.

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

ahem; hem

Hypernyms ("ahem" is a kind of...):

utterance; vocalization (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

 Context examples 

Ahem, we’ll discuss that later, he smiled, as a bullet struck solidly into the cabin wall.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“As I was saying,” he went on, as though nothing unwonted had happened, “the shark was not in the reckoning. It was—ahem—shall we say Providence?”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

You will observe, Miss Brewster, that he carries a dirk in his belt, a—ahem—a most unusual thing for a ship’s officer to do.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)