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Ahem

//əˈhɛm// intj, verb

Definitions

Intj
  1. 1
    The sound of a quiet cough or of clearing one's throat. onomatopoeic
  2. 2
    Demanding attention.

    "Ahem! Could we please get started?"

  3. 3
    Expresses disapproval or annoyance.

    "Ahem! In case you didn't notice, I did my share of the work, too."

  4. 4
    Indicates the speaker does not wish to be perceived as rude, often intimating an impolite meaning to a third party that the speaker is not addressing.; Indicates subtle sarcasm, polite lying, or euphemism.

    "I really (ahem!) liked the chocolate broccoli surprise."

  5. 5
    Indicates the speaker does not wish to be perceived as rude, often intimating an impolite meaning to a third party that the speaker is not addressing.; Indicates an inappropriate pun.

    "The tone of Fat is casual and ahem, digestible, while also providing a succinct and significant overview of fatness and some of the issues most relevant to the burgeoning field of fat studies."

Noun
  1. 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. wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To cough or clear one's throat so as to draw attention.

    "He wouldn't have been suspected of crying for the world, but he coughed and ahemmed, and finally turned away without speaking."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Onomatopoeic.

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

See also for "ahem"

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