suture

[ soo-cher ]

noun

1. Surgery.
   1. a joining of the lips or edges of a wound or the like by stitching or some similar process.
   2. a particular method of doing this.
   3. one of the stitches or fastenings employed.
2. Anatomy.
   1. the line of junction of two bones, especially of the skull, in an immovable articulation.
   2. the articulation itself.
3. Zoology, Botany. the junction or line of junction of contiguous parts, as the line of closure between the valves of a bivalve shell, a seam where carpels of a pericarp join, etc.
4. a seam as formed in sewing; a line of junction between two parts.
5. a sewing together or a joining as by sewing.

verb (used with object)

, su·tured, su·tur·ing.

1. to unite by or as by a suture.

suture

/ ˈsuːtʃə /

noun

1. surgery
   1. catgut, silk thread, or wire used to stitch together two bodily surfaces
   2. the surgical seam formed after joining two surfaces Also calledseam
2. anatomy a type of immovable joint, esp between the bones of the skull ( cranial suture )
3. a seam or joining, as in sewing
4. zoology a line of junction in a mollusc shell, esp the line between adjacent chambers of a nautiloid shell
5. botany a line marking the point of dehiscence in a seed pod or capsule

verb

1. tr surgery to join (the edges of a wound, etc) by means of sutures

Derived Forms

• ˈsuturally, adverb
• ˈsutural, adjective

Other Words From

• sutur·al adjective
• sutur·al·ly adverb
• pre·sutur·al adjective
• un·sutured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of suture¹

1535–45; < Latin sūtūra seam, suture, equivalent to sūt ( us ) (past participle of suere to sew ¹ ) + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of suture¹

C16: from Latin sūtūra, from suere to sew

Example Sentences

In another, Brock told a woman that she had not suffered any tearing, but told her husband, “Don’t worry dad, I’ll throw a stitch in there for you,” and proceeded to suture her without her consent, the lawsuit alleged.

From Los Angeles Times

We hear cracking bones, see a pile of entrails, watch Sue suture Elisabeth’s back, and get an uncomfortable close-up of Harvey frenetically masticating beady-eyed shrimp.

From Salon

"And you can look at photos of him closely — there are scars around his ears that are exactly what you see with a facelift. They used to be hanging earlobes, now he has a pixie ear deformity on the right side. That’s when you actually suture the earlobe to the side of the head and the earlobe pulls down … making it look more like an attached one than a detached one."

From Salon

ElAttrache described Ohtani’s second operation as a hybrid procedure involving an internal brace — adding braided suture to repair the torn ligament — as well as the insertion of the tendon like what is done in a traditional Tommy John surgery.

From Seattle Times

“He and I are both doing the same thing, same philosophy, in adding braided suture to repair and enhance the existing torn ligament as well as putting in the new graft,” ElAttrache said.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• stitch