stitch

American  

[stich] / stɪtʃ /

noun

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)

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)

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

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

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

In Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers were still mapping networks of insurgents and roadside bombs by hand until FDEs arrived to stitch together PowerPoints and memos into a centralized intelligence platform.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

In 1951, he published the first royal tell-all memoir, A King’s Story, which flew off the shelves and painted him as a victim of an establishment stitch up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Dr. Louis Durkin, president of the Association of Ringside Physicians, who is also a stitch doctor for BKB, shared data from a study conducted by the ARP in 2025.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

"Rolling, unrolling, or hanging it in a new way can cause tearing, stitch loss and distortion of the fabric."

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

I would stitch them beautiful dresses, but I also taught them to sew.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• fasten
• sew