# stitch

Pronunciation: say "STICH" /stɪt͡ʃ/

## Noun

1. A single pass of the needle in sewing, or the loop or turn of thread that it leaves behind.
   - Simple: One push of a needle through cloth when you sew, or the loop of thread it leaves.
   - _She pushed the needle through for one last stitch and knotted the thread._
   - _The tailor pulled out the crooked stitches and sewed the cuff again._
3. A sharp, intense pain felt just below the ribs, typically set off by exercise or by laughing.
   - Simple: A very sharp pain just under your ribs, caused by exercise or laughing.
   - _She slowed to a jog, pressing a hand against the stitch under her ribs._
   - _He laughed so long at his brother's impression that he gave himself a stitch._
4. A particular arrangement of stitches in sewing, or a method of stitching in a certain way or style.
   - Simple: A certain way of sewing, or the pattern of stitches it makes.
   - _She outlined the leaves in a neat chain stitch and filled the petals with satin stitch._
   - _Which stitch should I use for a seam that has to stretch?_
5. In knitting, a single turn of yarn around the needle, or one loop or link of yarn.
   - Simple: In knitting, one loop of yarn around the needle.
   - _She cast on sixty stitches and began the first row of the sweater._
   - _If a stitch slips off the needle, catch it with a crochet hook before it unravels down the rows._
8. A particular arrangement of stitches in knitting, or a method of knitting in a certain way or style.
   - Simple: A certain way of knitting, or the pattern it makes in the yarn.
   - _Many beginners start with garter stitch because every row is knitted the same way._
   - _The knitting pattern switches to a ribbed stitch at the cuffs so they hold their shape._
9. Any part of a fabric or of clothing, however small. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Even the smallest bit of cloth or clothing.
   - _By the time we reached the cabin, the rain had soaked every stitch of clothing we owned._
   - _My closet is full, and I still don't have a stitch to wear to the wedding._
11. On TikTok, an incorporation of an existing video into a new one, producing a collaborative clip that plays the two in sequence.
   - Simple: On TikTok, the act of adding a video that is already posted to a new one, so both play in order.
   - _Her TikTok drew thousands of comments, and the stitches answering her question were even funnier._
   - _In a stitch that racked up two million views, a plumber pointed out everything the original video got wrong._
13. A sharp, piercing pain felt in one particular place anywhere in the body, like the prick of a needle.
   - Simple: A sharp pain felt in one spot, in any part of the body, like a needle going in.
   - _A stitch in her temple made her wince every time she bent over the desk._
   - _He complained of stitches in his chest whenever he coughed._
15. A fastening, typically of thread or wire, passed through the back of a book to join its pages.
   - Simple: Something, such as thread or wire, that goes through the back of a book to hold its pages together.
   - _The binder replaced the broken stitches along the spine before rebinding the hymnal._
   - _Cheap pamphlets are often held together with a wire stitch through the fold._
16. The portion of material taken up or spanned by the needle in a single pass.
   - Simple: The small amount of material a needle picks up or covers each time it goes in and out.
   - _A blind hem stays hidden only if each stitch catches a thread or two of the outer fabric._
   - _Lengthen the stitch on the machine before you gather the ruffle._

## Verb

2. To sew, or to join things together or attach one thing to another with stitches.
   - Simple: To sew, or to join or fasten things together with stitches.
   - _Volunteers stitch the folded pages of each pamphlet together along the spine._
   - _She stitched a name label into the collar of every school sweater._
6. To combine separate parts into a single whole, or to include something within one.
   - Simple: To bring separate parts together into one whole, or to make something part of one.
   - _Negotiators spent the weekend stitching together a deal both parties could accept._
   - _Officials hope to stitch the scattered villages into a single school district._
7. To put stitches into something, especially to sew it so that a continuous line of stitches shows on the surface.
   - Simple: To make stitches in something, especially so that a long, unbroken line of stitches shows on top.
   - _The tailor stitched the shirtfront in close parallel rows that showed clearly against the white linen._
   - _Saddlers stitch the leather by hand so that a neat, even line runs along every edge._
10. On TikTok, to incorporate an existing video into a new one, producing a collaborative clip that plays the two in sequence.
   - Simple: On TikTok, to add a video that is already posted to your new one, so both play in order.
   - _Her question about first jobs went viral, and stitched videos full of people's answers kept appearing in her feed._
   - _If you stitch my video, tag me in the caption so I can watch your reply._
12. To do sewing or needlework as an activity, working with a needle and thread.
   - Simple: To sew or do other needlework with a needle and thread.
   - _Members of the quilting circle stitch and talk for two hours every Thursday._
   - _She has been stitching since dawn to finish the costumes before opening night._
14. In computer graphics, to combine two or more photographs of the same scene into a single image, such as a panorama.
   - Simple: To join two or more photos of the same scene into one picture.
   - _Photographers often stitch together dozens of frames to build one huge image of a city skyline._
   - _Hundreds of drone photos were stitched into a single map of the farm._

## Noun

17. A long, narrow trench cut into the soil by a plow; a furrow. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A long, narrow groove that a plow cuts in the ground.
   - _The oxen turned at the hedge and began a fresh stitch beside the last one._
   - _She dropped the seed potatoes into the open stitch and raked soil over them._
18. A contortion or twist, as when the face is pulled out of its usual shape. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A twist or bending of something out of its normal shape.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To weld pieces together by means of a series of spot welds that connect with or overlap one another.
- (noun) Any stretch of space that someone or something passes over; a distance.
- (noun) The strip of ground lying between two double furrows in plowed land.
- (verb) In agriculture, to work a piece of land so that its surface is formed into ridges.

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3–5, 8–9, 11, 13, 15–18** — From Middle English stiche, from Old English stiċe ('a prick, puncture, stab; a pricking feeling; a stitch; a pain in the side; a sting'). This came from Proto-West Germanic *stiki and Proto-Germanic *stikiz ('prick, piercing, stitch'), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- ('to stab, pierce'). It is related to Dutch steek, German Stich, and Old English stician ('to stick, stab, pierce, prick'), and so to English stick; through the same root it is also related to Czech steh, Polish ścieg, and Russian стежок (stežok).
**Meanings 2, 6–7, 10, 12, 14** — From Middle English sticchen or stichen, from Old English *stiċċan or stiċċian, from Proto-Germanic *stikjaną ('to stab, stick, prick'). Its development was influenced by the noun stitch.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/stitch (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).