stitch

stitch1 [ stıtʃ ] noun **

1. ) count a short piece of THREAD that you can see on cloth when it has been sewn:

I put a couple of stitches in just to hold the ends together.

a ) count a piece of wool that has been put around a needle when you are KNITTING:

The shawl was knitted with beautiful neat stitches.

drop a stitch (=let it fall off the needle accidentally)

b ) count or uncount a particular way of making the stitches when you are sewing or KNITTING:

I can sew, but I can't do any of the fancy stitches.

c ) count a short piece of THREAD that is used for joining someone's skin together after it has been cut:

The cut over his left eye needed 12 stitches.

2. ) singular or uncount a sharp pain in the side of your body that you sometimes feel when you are running:

I got a stitch and had to stop running.

in stitches INFORMAL

laughing a lot:

have someone in stitches: Dawson's brand of humor had his audiences in stitches.

not have a stitch on INFORMAL

to not be wearing any clothes

a stitch in time (saves nine) SPOKEN

used for saying that it is better to solve a problem now, rather than leave it until later when it may be more difficult to deal with

stitch

stitch 2 [ stıtʃ ] verb transitive

1. ) to join pieces of cloth together by sewing them:

They stitched red and blue ribbons onto their hats.

2. ) to join someone's skin together after it has been cut:

Surgeons managed to stitch his finger back on.

,stitch `up phrasal verb transitive

1. ) to repair a piece of cloth that has been torn by sewing it:

You ought to stitch up that hole in your jeans.

2. ) INFORMAL to arrange an agreement or deal:

He's stitched up a major deal with Columbia Records.

3. ) to join someone's skin together after it has been cut:

Doctors stitched up the wound.