seamstress

American  

[seem-stris, sem-] / ˈsim strɪs, ˈsɛm- /

noun

• seamstresses
  plural

1. a woman whose occupation is sewing.

---

seamstress British  

/ ˈsɛmpstrɪs, ˈsɛmstrɪs /

noun

1. a woman who sews and makes clothes, esp professionally

---

Gender

See -ess.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• seamstresses
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of seamstress

First recorded in 1605–15; seamst(e)r + -ess

---

Explanation

A seamstress is a person whose job involves sewing clothing. You could be a seamstress if you hem your own pants, but most seamstresses work in factories sewing garments using sewing machines. Traditionally, a seamstress was a woman who sewed seams in clothes using a machine, or occasionally by hand. Seamstresses weren't considered as skilled as a dressmaker, who makes custom clothing, or a tailor, who alters clothes to fit a specific person. Each of these titles is a distinct job, but they are commonly used interchangeably. Some people use the newer, unisex term sewist instead of seamstress.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seamstress seamstresses

Osypenko, the seamstress, said she would not get home because of the traffic jams.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Eleonora worked in their home as a maid and seamstress, according to records from 1772.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

Grant, who has been a seamstress for 15 years, said she was sworn to secrecy after the first phone call which was difficult as she was "not good at keeping secrets".

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

Skaters make sure the dresses fit OK before McKinnon and her four-person seamstress team add sparkle, which usually means a crystal count in the thousands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

Her second was that the seamstress must be fetched immediately.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Sorcinelli, aided by 11 seamstresses, displayed the green silk forming the basis of Leo's vestment for Rimini, rolling out the sumptuous fabric onto a long table.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Time and again, the 11th-Century seamstresses who created it - who are believed to have been in England, probably Canterbury - were so skilled that the story they are telling looks like it's in 3D.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

There, among the seamstresses in training, Duncan met other welfare mothers, equally desperate, and recognized the stinginess, indifference and bureaucratic aggravations she’d been suffering in isolation were part of a larger system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he spent his teenage years in the U.S., growing up in a community of seamstresses and store owners who always found reasons to do more rather than less.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

Astonishing himself and his seamstresses, Shin lost his composure.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---