Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense stitches, present participle stitching, past tense, past participle stitched
1. verb
If you stitch cloth, you use a needle and thread to join two pieces together or to make a decoration.
Fold the fabric and stitch the two layers together. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
We stitched incessantly. [VERB]
...those patient ladies who stitched the magnificent medieval tapestries. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: sew, tack [British], seam, hem More Synonyms of stitch
2. countable noun
Stitches are the short pieces of thread that have been sewn in a piece of cloth.
...a row of straight stitches.
You can use embroidery stitches for further decoration.
3. countable noun
In knitting and crochet, a stitch is a loop made by one turn of wool around a knitting needle or crochet hook.
Her mother counted the stitches on her knitting needles.
She kept dropping stitches.
4. uncountable noun [usually noun NOUN]
If you sew or knit something in a particular stitch, you sew or knit in a way that produces a particular pattern.
The design can be worked in cross stitch.
...a woolly vest knitted in garter stitch.
5. verb
When doctors stitch a wound, they use a special needle and thread to sew the skin together.
Jill washed and stitched the wound. [VERB noun]
Stitch up means the same as stitch.
Dr Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
They've taken him off to hospital to stitch him up. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
6. countable noun
A stitch is a piece of thread that has been used to sew the skin of a wound together.
He had six stitches in a head wound.
7. singular noun
A stitch is a sharp pain in your side, usually caused by running or laughing a lot.
8.
See in stitches
Phrasal verbs:
See stitch up
More Synonyms of stitch
stitch in British English
(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. (usually used with a negative) informal
the least fragment of clothing
he wasn't wearing a stitch
6. agriculture
the ridge between two furrows
7. drop a stitch
8. in stitches
verb
9. (transitive)
to sew, fasten, etc, with stitches
10. (intransitive)
to be engaged in sewing
11. (transitive)
to bind together (the leaves of a book, pamphlet, etc) with wire staples or thread
noun, verb
12. an informal word for suture (sense 1b), suture (sense 6)
Derived forms
stitcher (ˈstitcher)
noun
Word origin
Old English stice sting; related to Old Frisian steke, Old High German stih, Gothic stiks, Old Norse tikta sharp
stitch in American English
(stɪtʃ)
noun
1.
a.
a single complete in-and-out movement of the threaded needle in sewing
b.
suture (sense 4) suture (sense 4c)
2.
a single loop of yarn worked off a needle in knitting, crocheting, etc.
3.
the piece of thread worked in, or a loop, knot, etc. made, by stitching
4.
a particular kind of stitch or style of stitching
5.
a sudden, sharp pain in the side or back
6.
a bit or piece; specif., an article of clothing
wearing not a stitch
verb intransitive
7.
to make stitches; sew
verb transitive
8.
to fasten, join, repair, adorn, or operate upon with or as with stitches; sew
9.
to fasten or unite (cartons, booklets, etc.) with staples
Idioms:
in stitches
Derived forms
stitcher (ˈstitcher)
noun
Word origin
ME stiche < OE stice, a puncture, stab: for IE base see stick
More idioms containing
stitch
a stitch in time
Examples of 'stitch' in a sentence
stitch
Fold the shoulder pads in half then use three or four stitches to sew them in place.
The Sun (2009)
Pin and stitch heading tape in place close to outside edges of heading tape.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
The initial step in any piece of knitting is to make the first stitch on one needle.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Use this thread for stitching pure cotton fabric.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
Pin and stitch the skirt strips together into a ring with flat fell seams.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
She once needed six stitches around an eye after being pushed to the ground.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
But any form of preparation of food unnerved her and her knitting was littered with dropped stitches.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Halfway through the meeting he crashed and needed stitches to a wound on his backside.
The Sun (2009)
You will be able to stitch these worlds together into a seamless and unified sermon.
Christianity Today (2000)
The defender suffered a head wound in training and needed four stitches.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The photographer apparently has five stitches to show for the indiscretion.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Would he use his stitching skills on his release?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Our doctors stitched the pieces back together as best as they could.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Turn right side out and stitch zip in place all round zip edge.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
Your machine will stitch a row of straight stitches until you take your foot offthe pedal.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
One has eight stitches in a head wound.
Coyle, Andrew & Stern, Vivien The Prisons We Deserve (1994)
The chalk is easily rubbed off the fabric after stitching.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
Pin and stitch the other half of tape centrally to hemmed edge of second piece.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
It was a bad cut and she needed six stitches.
The Sun (2012)
He required 100 stitches in his leg.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Pick up and knit one stitch from base of thumb, rib to end.
The Sun (2015)
It took two hours and 70 stitches to sew it back on.
The Sun (2009)
I finished a frock all but two stitches.
Charlotte M. Yonge The Daisy Chain (1837)
MY eldest daughter has expressed an interest in taking up cross stitching.
The Sun (2014)
The best he could have hoped for until that day was a dirty needle to stitch the cut and painkillers, as likely as not counterfeit.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
stitch
British English: stitch /stɪtʃ/ NOUN
Stitches are the pieces of thread that have been sewn in a piece of cloth.
...a row of straight stitches.
American English: stitch
Arabic: دَرْزَة
Brazilian Portuguese: ponto costura
Chinese: 缝合
Croatian: šav
Czech: steh
Danish: sting
Dutch: steek stoot
European Spanish: puntada
Finnish: ommel
French: point couture
German: Stich Nähen
Greek: βελονιά
Italian: punto
Japanese: ひと針
Korean: 한 바늘
Norwegian: sting
Polish: szew ścieg
European Portuguese: ponto costura
Romanian: cusătură
Russian: стежок
Latin American Spanish: puntada
Swedish: stygn
Thai: รอยเย็บ
Turkish: dikiş tıp, nakış vb
Ukrainian: стібок
Vietnamese: mũi khâu
British English: stitch /stɪtʃ/ VERB
If you stitch cloth, you use a needle and thread to join two pieces together or to make a decoration.
Fold the fabric and stitch the two layers together.
American English: stitch
Arabic: يَدْرُزُ
Brazilian Portuguese: costurar
Chinese: 用针缝
Croatian: sašiti
Czech: sešít
Danish: sy
Dutch: stikken naaien
European Spanish: coser
Finnish: ommella
French: coudre
German: nähen
Greek: συρράβω
Italian: cucire
Japanese: 縫う
Korean: 깁다
Norwegian: sy
Polish: uszyć
European Portuguese: costurar
Romanian: a coase
Russian: шить
Latin American Spanish: bordar
Swedish: sy
Thai: เย็บ
Turkish: dikmek tıp, nakış vb
Ukrainian: зшивати
Vietnamese: khâu
All related terms of 'stitch'
stitch up
To stitch someone up means to trick them so that they are put in a difficult or unpleasant situation, especially one where they are blamed for something they have not done.
knit stitch
the most common stitch in knitting ; stitches are formed on the left-hand needle by placing the point of the right-hand needle through the loop from left to right , winding the wool from the right-hand needle under the point of the right-hand needle and back across the front , pulling the loop through, and slipping the stitch off the left-hand needle
lock stitch
a sewing-machine stitch in which the top thread interlocks with the bobbin thread
loop stitch
any sewing stitch formed of connected loops
moss stitch
a knitting stitch made up of alternate plain and purl stitches
purl stitch
a knitting stitch made by doing a plain stitch backwards
slip stitch
a sewing stitch for securing hems , etc, in which only two or three threads of the material are caught up by the needle each time, so that the stitches are nearly invisible from the right side
tent stitch
an embroidery stitch that forms a series of parallel slanting lines
blind stitch
a type of stitch that is visible on one side of the material only
cable stitch
a pattern or series of knitting stitches producing a design like a twisted rope
chain stitch
an ornamental looped embroidery stitch resembling the links of a chain
cross-stitch
Cross-stitch is a type of decorative sewing where one stitch crosses another.
flame stitch
→ bargello (sense 1 ) bargello (sense 2 )
garter stitch
knitting in which all the rows are knitted in plain stitch instead of alternating with purl rows
kettle-stitch
a stitch used in hand-sewn books, at the head and tail , to hold sheets or sections together
ladder stitch
an embroidery stitch with parallel crossbars in a ladderlike design
saddle stitch
an overcasting stitch , esp. one made with a strip of leather or a thick leatherlike cord
satin stitch
an embroidery stitch consisting of rows of flat stitches placed close together
stitch wheel
a notched wheel used by a harness maker to mark out the spacing for stitching
blanket stitch
a strong reinforcing stitch for the edges of blankets and other thick material
darning stitch
a stitch used in darning that imitates the texture of the fabric that is to be mended
machine stitch
a stitch created by a sewing machine
popcorn stitch
a crochet stitch made with a number of loose stitches fastened in a common base so that the yarn puffs up, looking much like a piece of popcorn
running stitch
a simple form of hand stitching , consisting of small stitches that look the same on both sides of the fabric, usually used for gathering
stocking stitch
a pattern of stitches in knitting consisting of alternate rows of plain and purl stitch
tacking stitch
a long, loose , temporary stitch used in dressmaking , etc
buttonhole stitch
a reinforcing looped stitch for the edge of material , such as around a buttonhole
drop a stitch
to allow a loop of wool to fall off a knitting needle accidentally while knitting
gathering stitch
a simple form of hand stitching , consisting of small stitches that look the same on both sides of the fabric, usually used for gathering
herringbone stitch
an embroidery stitch that forms a zigzag line, used esp to hem a piece of fabric
a stitch in time
said to mean that it is better to deal with a problem in its early stages, in order to prevent it getting worse
lazy daisy stitch
an embroidery stitch consisting of a long chain stitch, usually used in making flower patterns
wholestitch
a type of stitch producing an effect similar to woven cloth
purl
a knitting stitch made by doing a plain stitch backwards
Chinese translation of 'stitch'
stitch
(stɪtʃ)
n
(c) (in sewing) 针(針)脚(腳) (zhēnjiǎo)
(c) (in knitting) 针(針) (zhēn)
(c) (Med) 缝(縫)针(針) (féngzhēn) (枚, méi)
(s) (= pain) 突然剧(劇)痛 (tūrán jùtòng)
vt
to stitch sth together/to stitch sth to sth将(將)某物缝(縫)起来(來)/将(將)某物缝(縫)在某物上 (jiāng mǒuwù féng qǐlái/jiāng mǒuwù féngzài mǒuwù shang)
(Med)[wound] (also stitch up)
缝(縫)合 (fénghé)
(verb)
Definition
to sew or fasten (something) with stitches
Fold the fabric and stitch the two layers together.
Synonyms
sew
Anyone can sew a hem, including you.
tack (British)
Tack the cord around the cushion.
seam
hem
baste
(noun)
Definition
a sharp pain in the side caused by running or exercising