suture

play

noun su·ture \ ˈsü-chər \

Definition of suture

1 a :a strand or fiber used to sew parts of the living body; also :a stitch made with a suture

b :the act or process of sewing with sutures

2 a :a uniting of parts

b :the seam or seamlike line along which two things or parts are sewed or united

3 a :the line of union in an immovable articulation (as between the bones of the skull); also :such an articulation

b :a furrow at the junction of adjacent bodily parts; especially :a line of dehiscence (as on a fruit)

—

sutural

play \ˈsü-chə-rəl, ˈsüch-rəl\ adjective

—

suturally

play \-rə-lē\ adverb

See suture defined for English-language learners

See suture defined for kids

Recent Examples of suture from the Web

In short order, doctors, nurses and EMTs arrived at the door with sutures, scissors and other supplies.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Woman in Labor Saved From Houston Floodwaters After Neighbors Form Human Chain," 29 Aug. 2017
In short order, doctors, nurses and EMTs arrived at the door with sutures, scissors and other supplies.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Woman in Labor Saved From Houston Floodwaters After Neighbors Form Human Chain," 29 Aug. 2017
In short order, doctors, nurses and EMTs arrived at the door with sutures, scissors and other supplies.

— susan keating, PEOPLE.com, "Houston Neighbors Form Human Chain to Help Pregnant Woman in Labor Wade Through Floodwaters: ‘We Were Stuck’," 28 Aug. 2017
Four emergency room doctors helped the insurer draw up a list of about 300 medical codes that would be considered nonemergencies, such as suture removal, athlete’s foot and the common cold, Felts said in an email.

— shari rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Think you need to go to ER? If your insurer doesn't agree, you could pay," 23 Aug. 2017
The field is relatively new, but the materials are starting to find their way into shape-shifting sutures and other medical applications, and engineers are working on using SMPs for creating artificial robotic muscles.

— david meyer, Fortune, "Motorola Is Developing Self-Healing Phone Screens," 17 Aug. 2017
His garage band, Dr. Mark and the Sutures, has been together for the past 30 years.

— karen berkowitz, chicagotribune.com, "Shout Out: Mark Nolan Hill, surgeon-rocker," 8 Aug. 2017
The key question is whether the surgery was more of a debridement (clean up) like Cam Newton or a true repair (with sutures) like Andrew Luck.

— profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Cutler's surgically repaired shoulder needs time," 7 Aug. 2017
The trio played together throughout high school, changing its name to The Sutures, then took a break to go to college.

— andrew gospe, The Seattle Times, "Goodbye for now: Seattle band Tangerine is moving to Los Angeles," 29 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of suture

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin sutura seam, suture, from sutus, past participle of suere to sew — more at sew

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

suture

verb

Definition of suture

sutured; suturing play \ˈsü-chə-riŋ, ˈsüch-riŋ\

transitive verb

:to unite, close, or secure with sutures

suture a wound

See suture defined for English-language learners

Examples of suture in a Sentence

The surgeon sutured the incision.
the doctor cleaned, sutured, and bandaged the wound

Recent Examples of suture from the Web

Members learn suturing techniques and attend workshops on negotiating and networking.

— sujata srinivasan, courant.com, "Female Surgeons Making Inroads In Male-Dominated Operating Rooms," 18 July 2017
And a bulbous sagging gash sutured over and over where . .

— jill lepore, The New Yorker, "A Golden Age for Dystopian Fiction," 5 June 2017
A police affidavit says James Lowell Pennington, 57, removed the testicles and sutured the opening while the woman’s wife witnessed the 90-minute procedure.

— Washington Post, "Airplane passenger described as unruly is subdued, duct-taped to seat," 20 May 2017
CHICAGO – A new, nonsurgical weight-loss procedure — which involves inserting a tube down a patient's throat and suturing the stomach — is safe and effective, a new study finds.

— Fox News, "Weight-loss procedure makes stomach into 'accordion' without surgery," 10 May 2017
During the repair, the doctor places the bandage between the two sides of the meniscus and then sutures the meniscal-collagen sandwich together.

— maya wei-haas, Smithsonian, "Tear Your Meniscus? This “Living Bandage” May Help," 10 Jan. 2017

First Known Use of suture

1777

suture Synonyms

Synonyms

darn, stitch, sew

Related Words

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

Near Antonyms

unsew

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

SUTURE Defined for English Language Learners

suture

play

noun

Definition of suture for English Language Learners

medical : a stitch or a series of stitches used to close a cut or wound

suture

verb

Definition of suture for English Language Learners

medical : to sew together (a cut, wound, etc.) : to close (something) with a suture

Medical Dictionary

suture

play

noun su·ture \ ˈsü-chər \

medical Definition of suture

1 a :a stitch made with a suture

b :a strand or fiber used to sew parts of the living body

c :the act or process of sewing with sutures

2 a :the line of union in an immovable articulation (as between the bones of the skull); also :such an articulation

b :a furrow at the junction of adjacent bodily parts

Illustration of suture

suture

transitive verb

medical Definition of suture

sutured; suturing play \ˈsüch-(ə-)riŋ\

:to unite, close, or secure with sutures

suture a wound

Learn More about suture

See words that rhyme with suture Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for suture Britannica English: Translation of suture for Arabic speakers

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sutural

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Origin and Etymology of suture

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suture

Definition of suture

Examples of suture in a Sentence

Recent Examples of suture from the Web

First Known Use of suture

suture Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

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Other Medicine Terms

SUTURE Defined for English Language Learners

suture

Definition of suture for English Language Learners

suture

Definition of suture for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

suture

medical Definition of suture

Illustration of suture

suture

medical Definition of suture

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