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ahem

 [pronounced with a small scraping sound accompanied or followed by a nasal; spelling pron. uh-hem, hem]   Origin

a·hem

   [pronounced with a small scraping sound accompanied or followed by a nasal; spelling pron. uh-hem, hem]
interjection
(an utterance similar to the sound of clearing one's throat, used to attract attention, express doubt or a mild warning, etc.)
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
ahem (əˈhɛm)
 
—interj
a clearing of the throat, used to attract attention, express doubt, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ahem
attention-getting interj., 1763, lengthened from hem, imitative of clearing the throat.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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