noun
Etymology
Origin of sewing
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at sew 1, -ing 1
Explanation
Sewing is the craft of stitching things using a needle and thread. If you enjoy sewing, your elaborate, hand-stitched Halloween costumes might be the envy of all your friends. Before the invention of the sewing machine in the 1800s, sewing was done by hand. This kind of sewing involves threading a needle and taking repeated stitches through fabric, to attach several pieces to each other. The sewing that goes into a modern, mass-produced piece of clothing requires speedy, electric-powered sewing machines doing all the stitching. You can also use this word for a stitching project: "Have you seen my sewing? I thought I left it on the coffee table."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Only after her plight was the centerpiece of a Las Vegas Sun article about public assistance did the welfare department set her up with a sewing class.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
She said she used to purchase fabrics from the luxury department store Liberty London and her mother-in-law bought her a sewing machine and encouraged her to sew.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
At the bustling centre, sewing machines hummed as women stitched blankets, while others stacked thin mattresses ready to be handed out.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
Tracye Saar, who is her mother’s youngest daughter and also her studio manager, has memories of sitting under the long wooden tables at the ICCC, smelling the dust and oil from the sewing machines.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
“Like sewing the longest friendship bracelets or walking the most dogs at once. I was practicing juggling beanbags for, like, two hours in my room last night.”
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
