sew

play

verb \ ˈsō \

Definition of sew

sewed; sewn play \ˈsōn\ or sewed; sewing

transitive verb

1 :to unite or fasten by stitches

2 :to close or enclose by sewing

sew the money in a bag

intransitive verb

:to practice or engage in sewing

—

sewability

play \ˌsō-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

—

sewable

play \ˈsō-ə-bəl\ adjective

See sew defined for English-language learners

See sew defined for kids

Examples of sew in a Sentence

She sews her own dresses by hand.
He sewed a patch onto his sleeve.
I sewed the button back on the shirt.
The surgeon sewed the wound shut.
She designs her own dresses and sews in her free time.

Recent Examples of sew from the Web

Here's a French and Spanish city in an English colony, a blue city in a red state, a refuge city for the gay community in the Deep South -- and a place in which costuming, parading and partying are sewn into the fabric of this city.

— contributing writer, NOLA.com, "Decades of Decadence: How New Orleans' 'gay Mardi Gras' got started," 30 Aug. 2017
Now the GQ Style fashion director and stylist feeds his wanderlust by digging for vintage clothes in Kampala’s Owino Market or having dashikis custom sewn in Lagos.

— andrea whittle, CNT, "Where GQ Style's Mobolaji Dawodu Shops Around the World," 15 Aug. 2017
Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley of Ramona came and sewed a dress for the first time.

— heather mcghee, Ramona Sentinel, "Dresses from Ramona can change lives in Africa," 28 July 2017
This lumpy stocking is full of leftover lands, sewn into a monument designation.

— bonnie tsui, New York Times, "At Berryessa National Monument, Wildflowers and Rebirth," 25 July 2017
Over the past 10 years, Petit has had to develop his own skills for living, skills that have nothing to do with learning to sew on a button or boil an egg.

— daniela altimari, courant.com, "From Years Of Despair, Petit Rebuilds Family, New Life," 22 July 2017
Orphans had two sets of clothes, one to wear and one to wash, with their names sewn inside.

— kristina goetz, The Courier-Journal, "Orphans come back to ‘The Home’ that took them in when no one else could," 20 July 2017
Designed and sewn in California, made from sturdy domestic organic cotton and nontoxic dyes, Pansy’s provenance and quality is flawless.

— kat stoeffel, The Cut, "Where Do You Buy Comfy-Slutty Underwear in a World Without American Apparel?," 17 July 2017
Americans may buy coffee from Central America, electronics from China, cars from South Korea and jeans sewn in Turkey.

— jim drinkard, The Seattle Times, "AP FACT CHECK: US debt is not made in China," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sew.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sew

Middle English, from Old English sīwian; akin to Old High German siuwen to sew, Latin suere

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

sew Synonyms

Synonyms

darn, stitch, suture

Related Words

mend, patch, repair; baste, ease, fell, finish, overcast; cross-stitch, embroider; crochet, knit, quilt

Near Antonyms

unsew

Other Handicraft Terms

biscuit, darn, tambour, wrought

SEW Defined for English Language Learners

sew

play

verb

Definition of sew for English Language Learners

: to make or repair something (such as a piece of clothing) by using a needle and thread

SEW Defined for Kids

sew

play

verb \ ˈsō \

Definition of sew for Students

sewed; sewn \ˈsōn\ or sewed; sewing

1 :to join or fasten by stitches

2 :to work with needle and thread

Learn More about sew

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sew Spanish Central: Translation of sew Nglish: Translation of sew for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sew for Arabic speakers

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sew

Definition of sew

sewability

sewable

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Examples of sew in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sew from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sew

sew Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Handicraft Terms

Phrases Related to SEW

Related Phrases

SEW Defined for English Language Learners

sew

Definition of sew for English Language Learners

SEW Defined for Kids

sew

Definition of sew for Students

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