suture

noun su·ture \ ˈsü-chər \

|Updated on: 18 Jul 2018

Examples: suture in a Sentence

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)

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sutural

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

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suturally

play \ˈsü-chə-rə-lē, ˈsüch-rə-\ adverb

See suture defined for English-language learners

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Recent Examples of suture from the Web

In Virginia, John Peter Mettauer performed experimental surgeries on a 21-year-old enslaved woman multiple times over four years that led to the creation of lead sutures which helped Sims’ fistulae operations become successful.

— danielle jackson, Longreads, "A Frustrating Year of Reporting on Black Maternal Health," 14 June 2018
Daniels was given sutures for a laceration to his right eyebrow.

— molly sullivan, sacbee, "Officer punched in face, another injured in struggle with Sacramento State Prison inmate," 14 June 2018
For example, researchers are working on programming robots to do such tasks as stitch up tissue after a surgeon is done, which could help prevent problems for patients such as leakage from sutures that aren’t consistently tight.

— laura landro, WSJ, "The Operating Room of the Future," 28 May 2018
Jedi suffered wounds to his head and around one of his eyes, which were treated with sutures.

— anna buchmann, sacbee, "Here's how K-9 Jedi is doing after Carmichael stabbing | The Sacramento Bee," 21 May 2018
The sutures hold everything in place until your own natural healing maintains the ear for the rest of your life.

— dr. carlos wolf, miamiherald, "Girl's ears stick out. What's the right age for plastic surgery? | Miami Herald," 7 May 2018
Other technologies such as prostate sutures and energy sources such as laser, microwave, radio frequency and high-intensity ultrasound have been used to treat an obstructive prostate.

— dr. jared g. heiner, idahostatesman, "A new treatment for an old prostate problem | Idaho Statesman," 6 May 2018
His job included helping expand the division’s sideline in hypodermic and suture needles.

— james r. hagerty, WSJ, "Raymond Neag, Medical-Device Industry Leader, Supported Education," 4 May 2018
Arrow came up with new ways to package catheters in sterilized kits containing local anesthetic, gauze and sutures.

— james r. hagerty, WSJ, "Raymond Neag, Medical-Device Industry Leader, Supported Education," 4 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year