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

Unlike traditional posthumous albums that stitch together loose verses, “Prolific” was recorded and sequenced nearly two years before Hussle’s death.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

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

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

Do you think the insurance company tried to stitch me up?

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

It’s also her most stylistically coherent collection of songs since 2015’s “Pageant Material,” with a strong sense of place and tasteful genre experiments that stitch it all together.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026

In knitting, the knit and the purl stitch are the same things.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

McElwee stitches together the past and present to find new meaning in their seams, a jagged line that runs through time and points toward the future.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

The team stitches together compelling bits on the fly, staying nimble in case late-in-the-day drama blows up their working cut.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026

James said Willis brings "a wealth of presenting experience and a natural warmth", while Widdicombe "had us all in stitches with his unique style of self-deprecating humour and razor-sharp wit".

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

He had the crowd in stitches even though he was telling the story of how his whole town had been slowly swallowed by the sea.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Using keyhole surgery, Theo's organs were then gently pushed back inside his abdomen, which was stitched closed.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Yet they all play with the U.S. flag stitched over their hearts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

At the camp, nearly 200 families are crammed into fragile shelters stitched together from straw, torn fabric and sheets of plastic.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

In the virtual hearing, which lasted five minutes, she said she spoke to a man dressed in a green uniform, stitched with what looked like government insignia, seated in front of an American flag.

From Salon ● May 2, 2026

However, the colorful meadow-flower print of the fabric and the shocking flounce of pink tulle that had been unevenly stitched ’round the hem surely lent the garment a festive air.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

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

It may well be true that stitching multicultural communities together requires us to be more curious, inclusive neighbors.

From Slate ● May 26, 2026

The youngster will need further surgeries, as her parents have been told repairing her heart is like "stitching jelly" and there is more pressure on it than is typical.

From BBC ● May 23, 2026

Like something where you look closer and see an interesting fabric or different stitching.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026

Ash went about her work in silence as Ana upbraided her about her poor cooking skills, the invisible layer of dust on the dining room table, the unevenness of her stitching on their stockings.

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo

Related Words

• fasten
• sew