sew
She sews her own clothes.
to make or repair clothes using a needle and thread
She sews her own clothes.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
sew
verb (sews, sewing, sewed /, has sewed or has sewn )
pronunciation
The word sew sounds just like so.
to use a needle and cotton to join pieces of material together or to join something to material:
He sewed a button on his shirt.
Can you sew?
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
sew
sew S3 /səʊ $ soʊ/ verb (past tense sewed, past participle sewn /səʊn $ soʊn/ or sewed) [intransitive and transitive]
[Language: Old English; Origin: siwian]
to use a needle and thread to make or repair clothes or to fasten something such as a button to them:
• I learned to sew at school.
sew something on something
• Can you sew a patch on my jeans?
sew something together
• She sewed the two sides together.
sew something ↔ up phrasal verb
1. to close or repair something by sewing it:
• Could you sew up this hole in my trousers?
2. [usually passive] informal to finish a business agreement or plan and get the result you want:
• The deal should be sewn up in a week.
3. have something sewn up to have gained control over a situation so that you are sure to win or get what you want:
• It looks like the Democrats have the election sewn up.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
sew
sew [sew sews sewed sewing sewn] [səʊ] [soʊ] verb (sewed, sewn [səʊn] ; [soʊn] or sewed)
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
• ~ sth to sew a seam
2. transitive to make, repair or attach sth using a needle and thread
• ~ sth She sews all her own clothes.
• ~ sth on Can you sew a button on for me?
• Surgeons were able to sew the finger back on.
Derived: sew something up
Word Origin:
Old English siwan, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin suere and Greek suein.
Example Bank:
• He sewed the patch onto the back of his jeans.
• He sewed up the tear with a needle and thread.
• I sewed on three buttons.
• The jewel was sewn into the lining of his coat.
• The squares of fabric were all sewn neatly together.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
sew
sew /səʊ/ US /soʊ/
verb sewed, sewn or sewed
1 [I or T] to join two pieces of cloth together by putting thread through them with a needle:
My grandmother taught me to sew.
I made this skirt just by sewing two pieces of material together.
He sewed the badge neatly onto his uniform.
2 [T] to make a piece of clothing by joining pieces of cloth together by putting thread through them with a needle:
She sews all her children's clothes.
3 [I or T] to use a needle and thread to join up the edges of a cut in the skin or other part of the body:
The muscle layer needs to be sewn first.
His finger was cut off when he caught it in a machine, but the surgeon was able to sew it back on.
sewing /ˈsəʊ.ɪŋ/ US /ˈsoʊ-/
noun [U]
1 a piece of cloth that is being or needs to be sewn:
She put her sewing down.
2 the skill or activity of making or repairing clothes or other items made from cloth:
I'm not very good at sewing.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
sew
[so͟ʊ]
sews, sewing, sewed, sewn
1) VERB When you sew something such as clothes, you make them or repair them by joining pieces of cloth together by passing thread through them with a needle.
[V n] She sewed the dresses on the sewing machine...
[V n with on] Anyone can sew on a button, including you...
Mrs Roberts was a dressmaker, and she taught her daughter to sew. [Also V n prep]
2) VERB When something such as a hand or finger is sewn back by a doctor, it is joined with the patient's body using a needle and thread.
→ See also sewing
[be V-ed adv] The hand was preserved in ice by neighbours and sewn back on in hospital...
[V n with adv] Surgeons at Odstock Hospital, Wilts, sewed the thumb on.
Phrasal Verbs:
- sew up
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
sew
sew /ˈsoʊ/ verb sews; sewed; sewn /ˈsoʊn/ or sewed; sew·ing : to make or repair something (such as a piece of clothing) by using a needle and thread
[+ obj]
• She sews her own dresses by hand.
• He sewed a patch onto his sleeve.
• I sewed the button back on the shirt.
• The surgeon sewed the wound shut.
[no obj]
• She designs her own dresses and sews in her free time.
sew up [phrasal verb] sew (something) up or sew up (something)
1 : to close or repair (something) by using a needle and thread
• He sewed up the tear in his shirt.
• The surgeon sewed up the wound.
2 informal
a : to do the final things that are needed to complete (something) in a successful way
• They're sewing up the details of the agreement.
- often used as (be) sewn/sewed up
• The deal was sewn up by lunchtime.
b : to make (something, such as a victory) certain
• He scored a touchdown that sewed up the win/game.
- often used as (be) sewn/sewed up
• They felt they had the win/game sewn up. [=they felt that they were certainly going to win]
• It looks like he has the nomination all sewn up.
