stitch

American  

[stich] / stɪtʃ /

noun

• stitches
  plural

1. 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.

2. a loop or portion of thread disposed in place by one such movement in sewing.

   to rip out stitches.

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

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

5. the portion of work produced.

6. a thread, bit, or piece of any fabric or of clothing.

   to remove every stitch of clothes.

7. the least bit of anything.

   He wouldn't do a stitch of work.

8. a sudden, sharp pain, especially in the intercostal muscles.

   a stitch in the side.

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verb (used with object)

• stitches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stitched,
  past participle,  past
• stitching
  present participle

1. to work upon, join, mend, or fasten with or as if with stitches; sew (often followed bytogether ).

   to stitch together flour sacks to make curtains; a plan that was barely stitched together.

2. to ornament or embellish with stitches.

   to stitch a shirt with a monogram.

verb (used without object)

• stitches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stitched,
  past participle,  past
• stitching
  present participle

1. to make stitches, join together, or sew.

idioms

1. in stitches, convulsed with laughter.

   The comedian had us in stitches all evening.

stitch British  

/ stɪtʃ /

noun

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

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

3. a particular method of stitching or shape of stitch

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

5. informal (usually used with a negative) the least fragment of clothing

   he wasn't wearing a stitch

6. agriculture the ridge between two furrows

7. to allow a loop of wool to fall off a knitting needle accidentally while knitting

8. informal laughing uncontrollably

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verb

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

2. (intr) to be engaged in sewing

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

noun

1. an informal word for suture suture

stitch More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing stitch

• in stitches
• without a stitch on

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stitcher
  noun
• unstitch
  verb
• restitch
  verb (used with object)
• stitchlike
  adjective
• unstitched
  adjective
• well-stitched
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stitches
  plural

Participles

• stitching
  present
• stitched
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• stitch
  simple
• stitches
  simple
• have stitched
  perfect
• has stitched
  perfect
• am stitching
  progressive
• are stitching
  progressive
• is stitching
  progressive
• have been stitching
  perfect progressive
• has been stitching
  perfect progressive

Past

• stitched
  simple
• had stitched
  perfect
• was stitching
  progressive
• were stitching
  progressive
• had been stitching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will stitch
  simple
• will have stitched
  perfect
• will be stitching
  progressive
• will have been stitching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of stitch

before 900; (noun) Middle English stiche, Old English stice a thrust, stab; cognate with German Stich prick; akin to stick ²; (v.) Middle English stichen to stab, pierce, derivative of the noun

Explanation

When a needle pulls thread through fabric and into a loop, that's a stitch. Every quilt, no matter how elaborate, starts with a single stitch. You can stitch a design on a pillow, or stitch up a hole in your jeans using stitches. Doctors sometimes stitch up patients' skin, too — if you cut yourself badly enough, you might need stitches. Another kind of stitch is a painful cramp in your stomach or side: "I stopped running when I got a stitch." If someone says, "I haven't got a stitch to wear," they're short on clothing. And being "in stitches" means laughing uncontrollably.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stitch stitches stitched stitching

Yet, despite interventions from President Trump, a deal between the two sides to stitch the sport back together never materialized.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

A treat for trivia fans: Which simple stitch is the basis for all other stitches?

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

"It's garbage. It's a stitch up job," he added.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Lately, though, the news would make me drop a stitch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

I feel a stitch cutting into my side like I’m a ninety-year-old in the middle of a marathon.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Spain's Camprubi was able to continue in the race but Pidcock's fellow Briton Gloag stopped and required stitches on his knee.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

A popular Turkish comedian went on trial on Monday for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other offences during a stand-up performance, offering a quick-witted defence that had much of the courtroom in stitches.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

For his part, the unnamed 17-year-old said in a since-deleted social media post that he suffered six fractured vertebrae and a badly bruised tailbone and needed nine stitches in his foot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Yet, here, there are no visible stitches, no scars or seams.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

“Nearly seventy, I believe,” answered Meg, counting stitches to hide the merriment in her eyes.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Images posted by the interior minister showed police inside a home in an upscale Guayaquil neighborhood accompanied by masked American soldiers wearing U.S. flags stitched onto the shoulder of their uniforms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Much of the stitched masterpiece, which is actually coloured yarn embroidered on linen rather than a woven tapestry, is currently covered up in giant polyester sheeting, to protect it from light damage.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Trip-related problems are so common, in fact, that consumer advocate Christopher Elliott has stitched an entire career out of resolving them — from timeshare scams to horrible airline customer service and beyond.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

The finished product was more like a compilation of shot-for-shot music video and live performance recreations, stitched together with vignettes depicting a tepid version of Jackson’s real, tumultuous life.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

Fragments from his memory stitched together, then came apart.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

As a result, its surface is uneven, with holes, patches and the three-dimensional effects of the stitching.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

The foundational text of Parton’s career, this 1971 single lovingly details her mother’s make-do resilience, stitching a fall coat from scraps of cloth in the spirit of a beloved Bible story.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

Whether it's leather that's pre-cut in China or stitching that's done in Vietnam, these materials and expertise are almost certainly channelled into the region's black market.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Morgan analyst Tien-Tsin Huang asked about the deals on the earnings call, saying that the combined effort seemed to come with “above-average risk … because you’re stitching together the three assets.”

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026

“You kept tearing the seams and I got tired of stitching them back together.”

From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• fasten
• sew