stitch
Americannoun
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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.
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a loop or portion of thread disposed in place by one such movement in sewing.
to rip out stitches.
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a particular mode of disposing the thread in sewing or the style of work produced by one such method.
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one complete movement of the needle or other implement used in knitting, crocheting, netting, tatting, etc.
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the portion of work produced.
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a thread, bit, or piece of any fabric or of clothing.
to remove every stitch of clothes.
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the least bit of anything.
He wouldn't do a stitch of work.
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a sudden, sharp pain, especially in the intercostal muscles.
a stitch in the side.
verb (used with object)
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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.
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to ornament or embellish with stitches.
to stitch a shirt with a monogram.
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
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a link made by drawing a thread through material by means of a needle
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a loop of yarn formed around an implement used in knitting, crocheting, etc
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a particular method of stitching or shape of stitch
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a sharp spasmodic pain in the side resulting from running or exercising
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informal (usually used with a negative) the least fragment of clothing
he wasn't wearing a stitch
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agriculture the ridge between two furrows
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to allow a loop of wool to fall off a knitting needle accidentally while knitting
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informal laughing uncontrollably
verb
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(tr) to sew, fasten, etc, with stitches
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(intr) to be engaged in sewing
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(tr) to bind together (the leaves of a book, pamphlet, etc) with wire staples or thread
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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stitchernoun
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unstitchverb
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restitchverb (used with object)
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stitchlikeadjective
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unstitchedadjective
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well-stitchedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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stitchsimple
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stitchessimple
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have stitchedperfect
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has stitchedperfect
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am stitchingprogressive
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are stitchingprogressive
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is stitchingprogressive
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have been stitchingperfect progressive
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has been stitchingperfect progressive
Past
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stitchedsimple
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had stitchedperfect
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was stitchingprogressive
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were stitchingprogressive
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had been stitchingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing stitch
"Icarus and Daedalus"
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Sewing Away
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"Mister Monster"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A treat for trivia fans: Which simple stitch is the basis for all other stitches?
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
Not only did the Spain captain steer his side to a first triumph since 2010 and stitch a second star on the national shirt, but he was also crowned player of the tournament.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Such men were known as rhapsodes, those who stitch songs together, and their specialty was Homer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Lately, though, the news would make me drop a stitch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
By the time I get to the girls I have a stitch in my side and my feet are screaming, but I push it all aside.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
A treat for trivia fans: Which simple stitch is the basis for all other stitches?
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
Three months on, she’s still too frightened to return to the hospital to have her stitches removed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Bebe Rexha was hit in the face with a cellphone, resulting in a man getting arrested and the singer getting stitches.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
However, he was taken off 20 minutes after coming on against Chelsea following a clash of heads with Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez that left him with a nasty wound which required stitches.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
“It is long and white,” he explains, “cross-hatched where long ago stitches stabbed in. Like railroad tracks.”
From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads
There are some sad ironies stitched into the plot, and an upsetting late twist, though the show doesn’t wallow in it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 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
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
At the bustling centre, sewing machines hummed as women stitched blankets, while others stacked thin mattresses ready to be handed out.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
A thick, shimmering red thread stitched every piece into place.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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
But stretch that fabric over six months and look close at its stitching and there’s enough tiny holes to eventually blow the whole thing apart.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2026
“It’s fine. Candace and I are fine,” he adds, stitching together what he thinks is a confident smile.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
