Stitch

How to spell stitch

6 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce stitch

What does stitch mean?

1. nounA single loop of thread or yarn made by one pass of a needle in sewing or knitting.
2. verbTo join, mend, or fasten material together using a needle and thread.
3. nounA sudden sharp pain in the side of the body, usually caused by exertion.

Stitch in a sentence

• noun

  The tailor added one more stitch to secure the hem.

• verb

  She sat down to stitch the torn lining back into the coat.

• noun

  A sharp stitch in his side forced him to slow his pace.

• noun

  A loose stitch near the seam let the button fall off.

• verb

  The workshop will stitch your name onto the uniform for free.

• noun

  She got a painful stitch halfway through the morning jog.

Where does stitch come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

The word comes from the Old English stice, which meant a prick, a sting, or a sharp stabbing sensation, and that earlier sense survives today in the painful 'stitch' felt in the side after running. It traces back to a Germanic root connected to the verb 'stick', the idea being the action of piercing or poking something with a sharp point. Because sewing involves repeatedly pushing a needle through cloth, the same root naturally came to describe each pass of the needle and the loop of thread it leaves behind. From there the meaning spread to knitting and to the figurative 'not a stitch of clothing'. The single 't' followed by the 'tch' ending is the small spelling point to watch, since the word follows the common English pattern where a short vowel before the sound is written 'tch' rather than 'ch'.

How the word is built

• stitch (from Old English stice: a prick or puncture)