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Definition of sew verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sew

verb
 
/səʊ/
 
/səʊ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they sew
 
/səʊ/
 
/səʊ/
he / she / it sews
 
/səʊz/
 
/səʊz/
past simple sewed
 
/səʊd/
 
/səʊd/
past participle sewed
 
/səʊd/
 
/səʊd/
past participle sewn
 
/səʊn/
 
/səʊn/
-ing form sewing
 
/ˈsəʊɪŋ/
 
/ˈsəʊɪŋ/
Phrasal Verbs
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  1. [intransitive, transitive] to use a needle and thread to make stitches in cloth
    • My mother taught me how to sew.
    • to sew by hand/machine
    • sew something to sew a seam
    Homophones sew | so | sowsew   so   sow
     
    /səʊ/
     
    /səʊ/
    • sew verb
      • You should use stronger thread to sew the button back on.
    • so adverb
      • It is unsurprising that they were so successful.
    • so conjunction
      • I was worried about you, so I thought I'd just give you a call.
    • sow verb
      • Collect the seeds now to sow next season.
    Topics Hobbiesc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • neatly
    • together
    • up
    preposition
    • into
    • onto
    See full entry
  2. [transitive] to make, repair or attach something using a needle and thread
    • sew something She sews all her own clothes.
    • sew something on Can you sew a button on for me?
    • Surgeons were able to sew the finger back on.
    • sew something + adv./prep. The jewel was sewn into the lining of his coat.
    • The squares of fabric were all sewn neatly together.
    • He sewed the patch onto the back of his jeans.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • neatly
    • together
    • up
    preposition
    • into
    • onto
    See full entry
  3. Word OriginOld English siwan, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin suere and Greek suein.
See sew in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee sew in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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