stitch

UK: /ˈstɪtʃ/ US: /stɪtʃ/ ,(stich)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

stitch /stɪtʃ/  n. [countable]

1. Clothing one complete movement of a threaded needle through a material such as to leave behind a single loop of thread, as in sewing.
2. Clothing the loop or portion of thread so left.
3. Clothing one complete movement of the needle or hook in knitting, crocheting, etc.
4. Clothing a thread, bit, or piece of any fabric or of clothing:
   [used with a negative word or phrase] not a stitch of clothes on.
5. the least bit of anything:
   [used with a negative word or phrase] They wouldn't do a stitch of work.
6. a sudden, sharp pain, esp. in the side of the body.

v. 

7. Clothing to work upon, mend, or fasten with or as if with stitches;
   sew: [~ + object]
   The doctor stitched the wound before too much bleeding had occurred.
   [no object]
   She sat there quietly stitching.

Idioms

8. Idioms in stitches, laughing uncontrollably;
   convulsed with laughter:
   Soon the comedian had the audience in stitches.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

stitch (stich),  n. 

1. Clothing one complete movement of a threaded needle through a fabric or material such as to leave behind it a single loop or portion of thread, as in sewing, embroidery, or the surgical closing of wounds.
2. Clothing a loop or portion of thread disposed in place by one such movement in sewing:
   to rip out stitches.
3. Clothing a particular mode of disposing the thread in sewing or the style of work produced by one such method.
4. Clothing one complete movement of the needle or other implement used in knitting, crocheting, netting, tatting, etc.
5. Clothing the portion of work produced.
6. Clothing a thread, bit, or piece of any fabric or of clothing:
   to remove every stitch of clothes.
7. the least bit of anything:
   He wouldn't do a stitch of work.
8. a sudden, sharp pain, esp. in the intercostal muscles:
   a stitch in the side.
9. in stitches, convulsed with laughter:
   The comedian had us in stitches all evening.

v.t. 

10. Clothing to work upon, join, mend, or fasten with or as if with stitches;
    sew (often fol. by together):
    to stitch together flour sacks to make curtains; a plan that was barely stitched together.
11. Clothing to ornament or embellish with stitches:
    to stitch a shirt with a monogram.

v.i. 

12. Clothing to make stitches, join together, or sew.

• bef. 900; (noun, nominal) Middle English stiche, Old English stice a thrust, stab; cognate with German Stich prick; akin to stick²; (verb, verbal) Middle English stichen to stab, pierce, derivative of the noun, nominal

stitch′er, n. 
stitch′like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

stitch / stɪtʃ/ noun

1. a link made by drawing a thread through material by means of a needle
2. a loop of yarn formed around an implement used in knitting, crocheting, etc
3. a particular method of stitching or shape of stitch
4. a sharp spasmodic pain in the side resulting from running or exercising
5. (usually used with a negative) the least fragment of clothing: he wasn't wearing a stitch
6. the ridge between two furrows
7. drop a stitch ⇒ to allow a loop of wool to fall off a knitting needle accidentally while knitting
8. in stitches ⇒ laughing uncontrollably

verb

1. (transitive) to sew, fasten, etc, with stitches
2. (intransitive) to be engaged in sewing
3. (transitive) to bind together (the leaves of a book, pamphlet, etc) with wire staples or thread

noun , verb

1. an informal word for suture1b,

Etymology: Old English stice sting; related to Old Frisian steke, Old High German stih, Gothic stiks, Old Norse tikta sharp

ˈstitcher noun