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.
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
"We don't believe that sewing is going away," says Palaniswamy Rajan, chairman and chief executive of Softwear Automation, based in the US state of Georgia.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Still, sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is not always visible from behind a classroom sewing machine.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
In second grade, Mother taught me to hand-sew seams and then to use the old black Singer sewing machine.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
I jumped to my feet, letting my sewing drop to the floor in a cloudy white heap.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
