Sew

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /səʊ/
• US IPA: /soÊŠ/
• Rhymes: -əʊ
• Homophones: so, soh, sow sense 2

From Middle English sewen, seowen, sowen, from Old English sīwian, sēowian, sēowan ("to sew, mend, patch, knit together, link, unite"), from Proto-Germanic *siwjaną ("to sew"), from Proto-Indo-European *sīw- ("to sew"), *syuh₁-. Cognate with Scots sew ("to sew"), North Frisian saie, sei ("to sew"), Saterland Frisian säie ("to sew"), Danish sy, Polish szyć, Russian шить, Swedish sy, Latin suō. Related to seam.

Full definition of sew

Verb

1. (transitive) To use a needle to pass thread repeatedly through (pieces of fabric) in order to join them together.Balls were first made of grass or leaves held together by strings, and later of pieces of animal skin sewn together and stuffed with feathers or hay.
2. (intransitive) To use a needle to pass thread repeatedly through pieces of fabric in order to join them together.
3. (transitive) To enclose by sewing.to sew money into a bag

Synonyms

• stitch

Related to sewer ("a drain").

Verb

1. (obsolete, transitive) To drain, as a pond, for taking the fish.

Anagrams

• Wes, we's