backstitch

US/ˈbækˌstɪt͡ʃ/

nounC1Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechToo rare in one of the two pools to compare — fewer than 20 uses in speech or in writing

Backstitch is a strong hand stitch that doubles back on itself. Sew it in backstitch.

Each stitch goes back to meet the last one, so the line is unbroken like machine sewing. Backstitch is the strongest stitch you can do by hand and the slowest.

Definitions of backstitch

1nounbackstitchA strong hand stitch that doubles back on itself.C1
“She joined the seam in backstitch and it outlived the cloth.”

backstitch is a stitch.

Where it comes from

Back plus stitch, from the needle going back on itself each time.

From back + stitch.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

← Vocabulary

backstitch

US/ˈbækˌstɪt͡ʃ/

Backstitch is a strong hand stitch that doubles back on itself. Sew it in backstitch.

Each stitch goes back to meet the last one, so the line is unbroken like machine sewing. Backstitch is the strongest stitch you can do by hand and the slowest.

Definitions of backstitch

1nounbackstitchA strong hand stitch that doubles back on itself.C1
“She joined the seam in backstitch and it outlived the cloth.”

backstitch is a stitch.

Where it comes from

Back plus stitch, from the needle going back on itself each time.

From back + stitch.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA