stitch

[ stich ]

/ stɪtʃ /

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See synonyms for: stitch / stitching on Thesaurus.com

noun

one complete movement of a threaded needle through a fabric or material such as to leave behind it a single loop or portion of thread, as in sewing, embroidery, or the surgical closing of wounds.

a loop or portion of thread disposed in place by one such movement in sewing: to rip out stitches.

a particular mode of disposing the thread in sewing or the style of work produced by one such method.

one complete movement of the needle or other implement used in knitting, crocheting, netting, tatting, etc.

the portion of work produced.

a thread, bit, or piece of any fabric or of clothing: to remove every stitch of clothes.

the least bit of anything: He wouldn't do a stitch of work.

a sudden, sharp pain, especially in the intercostal muscles: a stitch in the side.

verb (used with object)

to work upon, join, mend, or fasten with or as if with stitches; sew (often followed by together): to stitch together flour sacks to make curtains; a plan that was barely stitched together.

to ornament or embellish with stitches: to stitch a shirt with a monogram.

verb (used without object)

to make stitches, join together, or sew.

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Idioms about stitch

in stitches, convulsed with laughter: The comedian had us in stitches all evening.

Origin of stitch

before 900; (noun) Middle English stiche,Old English stice a thrust, stab; cognate with German Stich prick; akin to stick²; (v.) Middle English stichen to stab, pierce, derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM stitch

stitcher, nounstitchlike, adjectivere·stitch, verb (used with object)un·stitch, verb

un·stitched, adjectivewell-stitched, adjective

Words nearby stitch

stirrup pump, stir up, stir up a hornets' nest, stishie, stishovite, stitch, stitchery, stitching, stitch-up, stitch wheel, stitchwork

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use stitch in a sentence

This project is fast and simple, though it does require some basic knowledge of knitting stitches and terms.
How to knit your own Bernie mittens|Sandra Gutierrez G.|January 26, 2021|Popular-Science
She hopes to develop a catalog of stitch types, their combinations and the resulting fabric properties.
How one physicist is unraveling the mathematics of knitting|Lakshmi Chandrasekaran|January 26, 2021|Science News
The mode Cultists vs Ghost Hunter is a great example of a very silly set of rules that often leaves us in stitches for the entirety of a match.
Are you a ‘Phasmophobia’ pro? Here are some alternate rules to keep the scares fresh.|Elise Favis|January 11, 2021|Washington Post
I was happy to still be alive, and after surgery, some facial skin grafts, lots of stitches, a couple of bones snapped back into place and several follow-ups with doctors, I was as good as new.
The Accidental Attempted Murder|Eugene Robinson|September 2, 2020|Ozy

In 1990, he recalled, the US textile industry produced 60% of the “cut & sew” apparel made worldwide—that is, clothing with stitches on the seams, as opposed to knitted wool sweaters or rain gear whose pieces are welded together with heat.
Unmade in America|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review
In that way that was cathartic too, to sort of stitch up all those pieces and see how that is.
Richard Blanco’s Gay Latino Poet Survival Kit|William O’Connor|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In fact, by the way he challenged my thoughts on the case, I thought perhaps he was aiming to stitch up the media.
What It's Like to Watch Kate Beckinsale Play You in a Movie|Barbie Latza Nadeau|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Advice that was given me by Florence Ridley, a professor in graduate school: Stitch, stitch.
How I Write: Diane Johnson|Noah Charney|January 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Also, by carrying an M-4 carbine, everybody knew I was carrying something that could stitch even U.S. body armor.
Don’t Arm America: A Soldier’s Reply to Connecticut Shooting|Tony Schwalm|December 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He just needs to stitch together all the threads into a coherent vision of the future that includes a vibrant economy.
Mitt Romney’s Immigration Gap Highlighted by Supreme Court Arizona Ruling|Mark McKinnon|June 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Net five rows, then take a mesh a very little larger, and widen by netting two stitches in every stitch.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
But Tilly only laughed, and Cordelia forgot her question with the last stitch she put into her tassel.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch|Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter
It gives order to the thoughts, fixes by a stitch the moment that passes what would otherwise pass with it.
The Nabob|Alphonse Daudet
An' so when I went courtin' m' third wife, I took a stitch in time an' told her about the camphor an' ker'sene an' lard.
Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays|Various
In making the buttonhole stitch, keep the needle close against the metal edge of the guide, as shown.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for stitch

stitch

/ (stɪtʃ) /

noun

a link made by drawing a thread through material by means of a needle

a loop of yarn formed around an implement used in knitting, crocheting, etc

a particular method of stitching or shape of stitch

a sharp spasmodic pain in the side resulting from running or exercising

(usually used with a negative) informal the least fragment of clothinghe wasn't wearing a stitch

agriculture the ridge between two furrows

drop a stitch to allow a loop of wool to fall off a knitting needle accidentally while knitting

in stitches informal laughing uncontrollably

verb

(tr) to sew, fasten, etc, with stitches

(intr) to be engaged in sewing

(tr) to bind together (the leaves of a book, pamphlet, etc) with wire staples or thread

noun, verb

an informal word for suture (def. 1b), suture (def. 6)

Derived forms of stitch

stitcher, noun

Word Origin for stitch

Old English stice sting; related to Old Frisian steke, Old High German stih, Gothic stiks, Old Norse tikta sharp

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with stitch

stitch

In addition to the idiom beginning with stitch

stitch in time, a

also see:

in stitches
without a stitch on

stitch

Idioms about stitch

Origin of stitch

OTHER WORDS FROM stitch

Words nearby stitch

Words related to stitch

How to use stitch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stitch

Derived forms of stitch

Word Origin for stitch

Other Idioms and Phrases with stitch