sew
/səʊ
/verb (past participle sewn /səʊn/ or sewed) [with object]
1Join, fasten, or repair (something) by making stitches with a needle and thread or a sewing machine: she sewed the seams and hemmed the border [no object]: I don’t even sew very well...
- These patchwork blocks are sewn into strips, then joined with plain-fabric strips.
- Fold the remaining two pieces of ribbon in half, and sew the folded ends just inside of where you stitched the strap.
- On the armhole seams, I sewed them as usual, setting in the sleeves to the garment, right sides together.
Synonyms
stitch, machine stitch;
embroider;
seam, hem, tack, baste;
attach, fasten
darn, mend, repair, patch
archaic clout
1.1 [with object and adverbial] Attach (something) to something else by sewing: she could sew the veil on properly in the morning...
- A Velcro tab is sewn into the inside of the hood to attach a pacifier.
- Finally, the attendant picked up the pacifier, attached it to a ribbon, and sewed it to the child's shirt.
- She had on a white, sheer veil with pearls sewn into the hem.
1.2Make (a garment) by sewing: the two sisters sewed their own dresses...
- The men teach their sons hunting and fishing skills, as well as how to sew their own simple garments.
- While courting Jeremy's mother in the fifties, he sewed her a dress for every date they had.
- She had never owned a pair of gloves or any dress but those sewn by her or her mother's hands.
Phrasal verbs
sew something up
Origin
Old English siwan, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin suere and Greek suein.