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sew

1
[soh]
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verb (used with object), sewed, sewn or sewed, sew·ing.

to join or attach by stitches.
to make, repair, etc., (a garment) by such means.
to enclose or secure with stitches: to sew flour in a bag.
to close (a hole, wound, etc.) by means of stitches (usually followed by up).

verb (used without object), sewed, sewn or sewed, sew·ing.

to work with a needle and thread or with a sewing machine.

Verb Phrases

sew up,
  1. Informal.to get or have a monopoly of; control exclusively.
  2. Informal.to complete or conclude (arrangements, negotiations, etc.) successfully: They were about to sew up the deal when the argument started.
  3. to gain or be assured of: He tried to sew up as many votes as possible before the convention.

Origin of sew

1
before 900; Middle English sewen, Old English siw(i)an; cognate with Old High German siuwan, Gothic siujan, Latin suere (see suture); akin to seam
Related formssew·a·ble, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for sew up

exclude, possess, utilize, absorb, suspend, halt, conclude, discontinue, retire, terminate, leave, cease, withdraw, abandon, drop, appoint, organize, slate, set, arrange
British Dictionary definitions for sew up

sew up

verb (tr, adverb)

to fasten or mend completely by sewing
US to acquire sole use or control of
informal to complete or negotiate successfullyto sew up a deal

sew

verb sews, sewing, sewed, sewn or sewed

to join or decorate (pieces of fabric, etc) by means of a thread repeatedly passed through with a needle or similar implement
(tr; often foll by on or up) to attach, fasten, or close by sewing
(tr) to make (a garment, etc) by sewing
See also sew up

Word Origin for sew

Old English sēowan; related to Old Norse sӯja, Gothic siujan, Old High German siuwen, Latin suere to sew, Sanskrit sīvjati he sews
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for sew up

sew

v.

Old English siwian "to stitch, sew, mend, patch, knit together," earlier siowian, from Proto-Germanic *siwjanan (cf. Old Norse syja, Swedish sy, Danish sye, Old Frisian sia, Old High German siuwan, Gothic siujan "to sew"), from PIE root *syu- "to bind, sew" (cf. Sanskrit sivyati "sews," sutram "thread, string;" Greek hymen "thin skin, membrane," hymnos "song;" Latin suere "to sew, sew together;" Old Church Slavonic šijo "to sew," šivu "seam;" Lettish siuviu, siuti "to sew," siuvikis "tailor;" Russian švec "tailor"). Related: Sewed; sewing. To sew (something) up "bring it to a conclusion" is a figurative use attested by 1904.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with sew up

sew up

1

Complete successfully, as in Our team has sewn up the championship. [Colloquial; c. 1900]

2

Gain complete control of, monopolize, as in Our restaurant hopes to sew up the town's takeout business. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.