stitch
to use a needle and thread to join or repair cloth, or to close a cut in the skin
To sew or fasten fabric, skin, or other material by making stitches with a needle and thread.
one loop of thread that you make when you sew or knit
A single loop or turn of thread or yarn made by a needle or machine when sewing, knitting, or crocheting.
a sudden sharp pain in your side when you run or exercise
A sudden, sharp pain in the side of the body, especially felt during or after exercise.
to quickly put different parts or ideas together to make one thing
To combine separate parts, such as ideas, information, or pieces of material, into a single whole, often quickly or somewhat roughly.
a special way of making stitches in sewing or knitting, such as a running stitch or cross stitch
A specific style or method of making stitches in sewing, embroidery, knitting, or crochet, usually with a standard name.
- Base: stitch
- Plural: stitch, stitches
- Base: stitch
- 3rd Person Singular: stitches
- Present Participle: stitching
- Past: stitched
a stitch in time saves nine
1fix small problems early
if you fix a small problem now, you stop it from becoming a much bigger problem later
- My dad always says, "A stitch in time saves nine," when something in the house starts to break.
- Do the repairs now; remember, a stitch in time saves nine.
- She emailed the client right away, believing that a stitch in time saves nine.
drop a stitch
1lose a loop while knitting
to let one loop of yarn fall off the needle when you knit, which can make the work come undone
- If you drop a stitch, stop and fix it before you knit the next row.
- She sighed when she realized she’d dropped a stitch near the beginning.
- Beginners often drop stitches until they get used to the needles.
have a stitch (in your side)
1feel side pain when running
to feel a sudden sharp pain in the side of your body, usually when you are running or doing exercise
- I can’t run any farther; I’ve got a stitch in my side.
- She slowed down because she started to have a stitch.
- If you often have a stitch when you run, try drinking less water right before.
not a stitch
1wearing no clothes at all
wearing no clothes at all
- He opened the door with not a stitch on.
- The kids ran through the sprinklers with not a stitch between them.
- She was caught outside in the rain with not a stitch dry.
not do a stitch (of work)
1do no work at all
to do no work at all, especially when you should be working
- I didn’t do a stitch of work all weekend.
- He sat there all afternoon and didn’t do a stitch.
- She complained that her roommate never did a stitch of housework.
pick up a stitch
1add or recover a stitch
to put a loop of yarn onto the knitting needle, often to fix a dropped stitch or to add stitches
- Use a crochet hook to pick up the stitch you dropped.
- You need to pick up ten stitches along the edge for the collar.
- She showed me how to pick up a stitch without leaving a hole.
stitch someone up
1cheat or frame someone
to trick someone so that they get blamed, are made to look bad, or are treated unfairly, especially by making something seem like their fault
- He claimed the police had stitched him up and that the drugs weren’t his.
- She felt her business partner had stitched her up in the contract.
- They were angry, saying the committee had stitched them up with the new rules.
stitch something together
1quickly put parts together
to put different parts, ideas, or pieces together quickly to make one thing, such as a plan, story, or deal
- We only had an hour to stitch a proposal together before the deadline.
- The producer stitched together clips from old shows to make a special episode.
- They stitched a temporary agreement together to keep the company running.
in stitches
1laughing very hard
laughing a lot and very strongly, often so much that your body hurts a little
- The comedian had the whole audience in stitches.
- Her story about the vacation disaster left us in stitches.
- That video was so funny it had me in stitches.
in stitches
2Unable to stop laughing
Laughing so much that you cannot stop.
- His jokes had us all in stitches.
- We were in stitches watching that movie.