- [countable] one of the small lines of thread that you can see on a piece of cloth after it has been sewn; the action that produces this
- Try to keep the stitches small and straight.
- Put a stitch in the corner of the pocket to keep it in place.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- decorative
- embroidery
- hand
- …
- do
- put
- sew
- …
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- [countable] one of the small circles of wool that you make around the needle when you are knitting (= making clothing out of wool with two long needles)
- to drop a stitch (= to lose one that you have made)
- The knitting should be 120 stitches wide.
- to cast stitches on/off (= to add or remove them)
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- garter
- stocking
- etc.
- …
- cast off
- cast on
- drop
- …
- [countable, uncountable] (especially in compounds) a particular style of sewing or knitting that you use to make the pattern you want
- chain stitch
- The edge was sewn with blanket stitch.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- garter
- stocking
- etc.
- …
- cast off
- cast on
- drop
- …
- [countable] a short piece of thread, etc. that doctors use to sew the edges of a wound together
- The cut needed eight stitches.
- I had six stitches in my foot after the accident.
- (especially British English) I’m having my stitches out today.
- (North American English) I’m getting my stitches out today.
Collocations InjuriesInjuriesBeing injured- have a fall/an injury
- receive/suffer/sustain a serious injury/a hairline fracture/(especially British English) whiplash/a gunshot wound
- hurt/injure your ankle/back/leg
- damage the brain/an ankle ligament/your liver/the optic nerve/the skin
- pull/strain/tear a hamstring/ligament/muscle/tendon
- sprain/twist your ankle/wrist
- break a bone/your collarbone/your leg/three ribs
- fracture/crack your skull
- break/chip/knock out/lose a tooth
- burst/perforate your eardrum
- dislocate your finger/hip/jaw/shoulder
- bruise/cut/graze your arm/knee/shoulder
- burn/scald yourself/your tongue
- bang/bump/hit/ (informal) bash your elbow/head/knee (on/against something)
- treat somebody for burns/a head injury/a stab wound
- examine/clean/dress/bandage/treat a bullet wound
- repair a damaged/torn ligament/tendon/cartilage
- amputate/cut off an arm/a finger/a foot/a leg/a limb
- put on/ (formal) apply/take off (especially North American English) a Band-Aid™/(British English) a plaster/a bandage
- need/require/put in/ (especially British English) have (out)/ (North American English) get (out) stitches
- put on/rub on/ (formal) apply cream/ointment/lotion
- have/receive/undergo (British English) physiotherapy/(North American English) physical therapy
Extra ExamplesTopics Healthcarec1- He had twenty stitches in a head wound.
- He has now had the stitches taken out.
- He needed four stitches.
- I had to have five stitches when I cut my finger.
- She had five stitches put in her cheek.
- When are you having your stitches out?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- dissolvable
- butterfly
- need
- require
- get
- …
- dissolve
- stitch in
- [countable, usually singular] a sudden pain in the side of your body, usually caused by running or laughing
- Can we slow down? I've got a stitch.
Word OriginOld English stice ‘a puncture, stabbing pain’, of Germanic origin; related to German Stich ‘a sting, prick’, also to the verb stick. The sense ‘loop’ (in sewing etc.) arose in Middle English.
Idioms
See stitch in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryin stitches
- (informal) laughing a lot
- The play had us in stitches.
not have a stitch on | not be wearing a stitch
- (informal) to be wearing no clothes
a stitch in time (saves nine)
- (saying) it is better to deal with something immediately because if you wait it may become worse or more difficult and cause extra work
Check pronunciation:
stitch