A loop of thread or yarn made with a needle in sewing or knitting; also a sharp pain in the side when running.
From Old English “stice,” meaning a prick or stab. It originally referred to a piercing action, which fits both sewing and sudden pain.
A whole shirt is just thousands of tiny stitches holding hands; break enough of them and the fabric literally falls apart. That weird ‘stitch’ in your side when running is your body complaining about how you’re breathing and moving.
Sewing-related terms like 'stitch' have historically been associated with women’s domestic labor and undervalued craft work. This association contributed to stereotypes that framed textile arts as 'women’s work' and less intellectually demanding than male-dominated trades.
Use neutrally for sewing, medicine, or computing without assuming the gender of the person doing the stitching. Acknowledge textile and craft work as skilled labor rather than trivial hobby work.
Women and girls have long been innovators in textile techniques and design, and their expertise laid foundations for industrial textile production and even early computing metaphors (e.g., weaving and programming).
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.