Stitches

How to spell stitches

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce stitches

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does stitches mean?

1. nounLoops of thread made by sewing, or the loops a surgeon uses to close a wound.
2. verbThird-person singular form of stitch: joins or repairs fabric with a needle and thread.

Stitches in a sentence

• noun

  The deep cut on his hand needed eight stitches to close.

• verb

  She stitches the torn hem by hand every weekend.

• noun

  Her embroidery showed neat, even stitches across the linen.

• verb

  The tailor stitches each button on with strong thread.

Where does stitches come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word descends from the Old English noun 'stice', which meant a prick, a sting, or a sharp stabbing pain, the very sensation a needle gives. That sense came from the same Germanic root that also produced 'stick' and the German 'stechen', meaning to prick or pierce. Over time the idea shifted from the painful jab itself to the small loop of thread left behind when a needle is pushed through cloth, and by extension to each pass a surgeon makes when closing a wound. The spelling keeps the 'tch' cluster that English uses after a short vowel, which is why writers must remember the silent first letter rather than spelling it 'stiches'. The lingering medical phrase 'a stitch in the side' still echoes the original meaning of a sudden sharp pain.

How the word is built

• stitch (from Old English stice: a prick or puncture)
• -es (plural noun / third-person verb suffix)