sew

¹

[ soh ]

verb (used with object)

, sewed, sewn or sewed, sew·ing.

1. to join or attach by stitches.
2. to make, repair, etc., (a garment) by such means.
3. to enclose or secure with stitches:

   to sew flour in a bag.

4. to close (a hole, wound, etc.) by means of stitches (usually followed by up ).

verb (used without object)

, sewed, sewn or sewed, sew·ing.

1. to work with a needle and thread or with a sewing machine.

verb phrase

1. 1. Informal. to get or have a monopoly of; control exclusively.
   2. Informal. to complete or conclude (arrangements, negotiations, etc.) successfully:

      They were about to sew up the deal when the argument started.

   3. to gain or be assured of:

      He tried to sew up as many votes as possible before the convention.

sew

²

[ soo ]

verb (used with object)

, sewed, sew·ing.

1. to ground (a vessel) at low tide (sometimes followed by by up ).

verb (used without object)

, sewed, sew·ing.

1. (of a vessel) to be grounded at low tide.

noun

1. the amount of additional water necessary to float a grounded vessel.

sew

/ səʊ /

verb

1. to join or decorate (pieces of fabric, etc) by means of a thread repeatedly passed through with a needle or similar implement
2. tr; often foll by on or up to attach, fasten, or close by sewing
3. tr to make (a garment, etc) by sewing

Other Words From

• sewa·ble adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sew¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English seuen, souen, Old English siw(i)an, siowan; cognate with Old High German siuwan, Old Norse sauma, Gothic siujan; akin to Sanskrit sī́vyati “(he) sews,” Latin suere; seam

Origin of sew²

First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French sewer, shortening of essewer, from unattested Vulgar Latin exaquāre, equivalent to Latin ex- “out of, from, thoroughly” + verb derivative of aqua “water”; sewer ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sew¹

Old English sēowan; related to Old Norse sӯja, Gothic siujan, Old High German siuwen, Latin suere to sew, Sanskrit sīvjati he sews

Example Sentences

“It’s kind of like sewing,” she said of using patterns.

From Los Angeles Times

She searched for work, but said nobody wanted to hire an older woman who had limited use of her left shoulder after so many years of sitting hunched over sewing machines.

From Los Angeles Times

He panted as Mroueh sewed up an incision by his shoulder.

From Los Angeles Times

Describing a typical day on 1 July 2022, he wrote: "At work, you sit for seven hours at the sewing machine on a stool below knee height."

From BBC

Close by, another puja creates a tableau of the bereaved family, the mother sitting on the bed, the father at a sewing machine, their daughter’s picture in doctor’s scrubs on the wall.

From BBC

Related Words

• embroider
• fasten
• stitch
• tailor