stitch

IPA/stɪtʃ/
KK[stˈɪtʃ]IPA/stɪtʃ/

stitch — noun

  • stitchsingular
  • stitchesplural

1. A visible line left on fabric when a threaded needle passes through it, or the a

1.nounB1
Definition

A visible line left on fabric when a threaded needle passes through it, or the action of pushing that threaded needle through and back out again.

Example

Noa noticed a loose stitch on the sleeve of her new shirt.

stitch + on [location (sleeve, hem)]

The tailor used tiny stitches to attach the button firmly.

Common collocations
  • loose stitch
  • tiny stitches
  • even stitch
  • stitch + come undone
  • stitch + on + [body part of clothing]
Synonyms
  • seam

    a seam is the whole line where two pieces of fabric are joined by stitches — larger than a single stitch

2. One of the loops of wool or yarn that sit on a knitting needle; the basic buildi

2.nounB1
Definition

One of the loops of wool or yarn that sit on a knitting needle; the basic building block of knitted fabric, where a row of loops together forms the material.

Example

Yuna dropped a stitch and had to ask her grandmother for help fixing it.

drop a stitch

Each row of knitting added about forty stitches to the scarf.

Common collocations
  • drop a stitch
  • miss a stitch
  • pick up a stitch
  • count stitches
  • row of stitches
Synonyms
  • loop

    general term for any circular shape in yarn; stitch is more specific to knitting and crochet

3. A named technique used to create a specific look in fabric by hand, for example

3.nounB2
Definition

A named technique used to create a specific look in fabric by hand, for example cross-stitch, chain stitch, or cable stitch.

Example

The embroidery book showed beginners how to make a chain stitch step by step.

chain stitch / cross-stitch / satin stitch [named types]

Beatrix chose a satin stitch for the flower petals on her cushion design.

Common collocations
  • chain stitch
  • cross-stitch
  • satin stitch
  • running stitch
  • blanket stitch
  • stitch pattern
Synonyms
  • pattern

    a pattern is the overall design; a stitch is one specific technique within it

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (SEWING STITCH): sense 3 refers to a style or category of stitching (e.g. cross-stitch, running stitch), whereas sense 1 refers to one individual mark made by a needle.

4. A length of medical thread that a doctor puts through the skin on each side of a

4.nounB2
Definition

A length of medical thread that a doctor puts through the skin on each side of a cut to bring the flesh together and let it heal.

Example

The doctor removed the stitches from Obi's arm ten days after the accident.

remove stitches

Élise needed five stitches to close the cut on her chin after the fall.

need + [number] + stitches

Common collocations
  • need stitches
  • remove stitches
  • get stitches
  • [number] stitches
  • stitches + come out
Synonyms
  • suture

    formal medical term for a surgical stitch; less common in everyday conversation

Common Mistakes

The doctor removed the stitchs from my leg.
The doctor removed the stitches from my leg.
the plural of stitch is stitches, not stitchs.

5. A state of having no clothes on the body, expressed only in the phrase 'in stitc

5.nounC1
Definition

A state of having no clothes on the body, expressed only in the phrase 'in stitches' (or 'in one's stitches').

Example

After the swim, the children ran across the grass in stitches, eager to get dressed.

phrase: in stitches

Yuna found herself in stitches after the shower with no towel nearby.

Common collocations
  • in stitches
Synonyms
  • naked

    direct and neutral; 'in stitches' is informal and British

  • bare

    can describe a body without clothes, but less common for full nakedness

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

in stitches

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'in stitches' or 'in one's stitches'. Describes total nakedness, not partial undress. Do not confuse with the idiom 'in stitches' meaning laughing hard (see Idioms section).

Common Mistakes

He was in a stitch.
He was in stitches.
the phrase always uses the plural form.

6. A brief, stabbing sensation on one side of the torso, typically caused by runnin

6.nounB2
Definition

A brief, stabbing sensation on one side of the torso, typically caused by running too hard without steady breathing or by laughing intensely.

Example

Emma got a stitch in her side halfway through the five-kilometre run.

get a stitch in [one's] side

Noa doubled over with a stitch from laughing at the comedy show.

Common collocations
  • get a stitch
  • have a stitch
  • a stitch in [one's] side
  • stitch + go away
Synonyms
  • cramp

    cramp is a broader term for muscle pain; a stitch is specifically in the side and linked to breathing during exercise

Grammar Patterns

get/have + a stitch

Usage Note

Common in both British and American English. The pain is temporary and usually stops within a few minutes of resting or slowing down. Not a medical emergency.

Common Mistakes

I have a side stitch pain.
I have a stitch in my side.
the natural phrasing is simply 'a stitch', and the location is specified with 'in my side'.
Idioms

in stitches

idiom

Laughing so much that you cannot stop — as if the laughter is physically holding you together.

The comedian had the audience in stitches with his jokes about family life.

Noa's impression of the teacher had everyone in stitches during lunch.

a stitch in time saves nine

idiom

A saying meaning that dealing with a problem immediately stops it from becoming bigger and harder to fix later.

"A stitch in time saves nine," her father said, urging her to fix the small tear right away.

When you notice a loose roof tile, repair it promptly — a stitch in time saves nine.

a stitch in time (saves nine)

idiom

It is better to fix a small problem now, because waiting will make it bigger and harder to fix.

Dad fixed the leaky pipe immediately, remembering that a stitch in time saves nine.

Repairing the small tear now is a stitch in time; later it would ruin the whole shirt.

stitch — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Sew is the broadest and most common term for joining fabric with needle and thread — you can sew a button, a dress, or a torn bag. Stitch (sense verb/1) is similar but emphasises the repeated needle movements and is often used for repair work or closing wounds. Darn has a narrow meaning: it refers to filling a hole in fabric by weaving thread across it, not joining two separate pieces. Embroider is decorative — you add coloured thread to fabric to create a pattern, not to repair or construct. Suture is strictly medical, used only for stitching wounds or surgical incisions. In everyday conversation, 'stitch a wound' is natural; 'suture a wound' sounds clinical. For repairing a torn pocket on a bag, say 'stitch it back on'. For adding flowers to a cushion, say 'embroider'. For a hole in a sock, say 'darn it'.

sew ↗darn ↗embroider ↗suture ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'stitch' comes from Old English 'stice', meaning a prick or stab from a pointed object. This root is shared with 'stick' (as in sticking a needle into something). The sewing sense was already present in Old English and referred to the mark left by a needle. By the 1500s, the word was also used for a sudden sharp pain (the 'side stitch' sense). The slang use of 'stitches' for clothes dates from the 1500s as well, leading to the phrase 'in stitches' meaning naked. The idiom 'in stitches' meaning laughing very hard developed around the 1900s, playing on the idea of laughter being so strong it feels like it is physically holding you together.