sewing

American  

[soh-ing] / ˈsoʊ ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or work of one who sews.

2. something sewn or to be sewn.

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sewing British  

/ ˈsəʊɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. a piece of cloth, etc, that is sewn or to be sewn

   2. ( as modifier )

      sewing basket

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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

In November, Husbands founded the American Tailors and Sewing Association, which aims to create a standardized, scalable training and certification model for the industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

The lender, which has almost 90,000 employees, has undergone a major restructuring under Sewing, focusing more on Europe and corporate and retail banking, and shifting away from overly risky investment banking activities.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Reinforcing a culture of accountability is essential to boosting shareholders’ value, Sewing said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing was faced with a choice of defending one of his analysts or a key client — the U.S.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026

Sewing materials for both, plus the children’s recent measurements.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• tailoring