sew

1
[ soh ]
See synonyms for sew on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. to enclose or secure with stitches: to sew flour in a bag.

  2. 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 Phrases
  1. sew up,

    • Informal. to get or have a monopoly of; control exclusively.

    • Informal. to complete or conclude (arrangements, negotiations, etc.) successfully: They were about to sew up the deal when the argument started.

    • to gain or be assured of: He tried to sew up as many votes as possible before the convention.

Origin of sew

1
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; see also seam

Other words from sew

  • sew·a·ble, adjective, noun

Other definitions for sew (2 of 2)

sew2
[ 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.

Origin of sew

2
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”; see also sewer1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for sew

sew

/ (səʊ) /


verbsews, sewing, sewed, sewn or sewed
  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

  1. (tr) to make (a garment, etc) by sewing

Origin of sew

1
Old English sēowan; related to Old Norse sӯja, Gothic siujan, Old High German siuwen, Latin suere to sew, Sanskrit sīvjati he sews

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012