sew

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sew /s'oʊ/ (sews sewing sewed sewn)
1 [VERB] V n, V n with on, V
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.
She sewed the dresses on the sewing machine...
Anyone can sew on a button, including you...
Mrs Roberts was a dressmaker, and she taught her daughter to sew.
2 [VERB] be V-ed adv
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.
The hand was preserved in ice by neighbours and sewn back on in hospital...
see also sewingsew up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you sew up pieces of cloth or tears in cloth or skin, you join them together using a needle and thread.
Next day, Miss Stone decided to sew up the rip...
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V n P, also V P n (not pron)
If someone sews up something such as a business deal, an election, or a game, they make sure that they will get the result they want. (INFORMAL)
If they didn't move fast, Johnson could sew this deal up within days...
The Italians think they've got it all sewn up.

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