presser foot

American  

noun

1. a forked, metal device on a sewing machine used for holding the fabric in place while stitching.

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Etymology

Origin of presser foot

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

He studied the small heap of light blue cloth still held in place by the machine’s presser foot.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Coughing from the sweatshop’s foul air, Fannie dropped the presser foot onto a new seam.

From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell

The earliest ones were those made by Nettleton & Raymond based on Charles Raymond’s patent of March 9, 1858, which featured a hinged presser foot acting as the top feed.

From The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Cooper, Grace Rogers

In 1861, the company introduced the famous glass presser foot, patented on March 5 of that year by J. L. Hyde.

From The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Cooper, Grace Rogers

At right, an original brass plate from the same type of machine with needle arm and presser foot and arm, serial number 119; the plate, however, does not fit the machine correctly.

From The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Cooper, Grace Rogers