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machine stitch

machine stitch

3.4
A line of thread that a sewing machine makes to join fabric
  • noun
  • /məˈʃin stɪtʃ/
translation icon : puntada a máquina
  • You will want to use this border to cover up the machine stitches that hold the border on and (if you're like me) the messy backstitching you just created.

Examples

  • A straightmachine stitch is perfect for hemming fabric neatly.

  • She preferred a decorative machine stitch to add flair to the quilt she was making.

  • I read that the most common machine stitch is called a lock stitch, but the manual doesn't explain how it's done.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • To create a secure hem, simply use a zigzag machine stitch along the edge.

Synonyms

stitch
vsmachine stitch
23 2.3

A single loop of thread made when sewing or knitting

refers only to the form produced by a powered device rather than any method
sewing-machine stitch
vsmachine stitch
2.8

A row of thread that a sewing machine makes to join pieces of fabric

is the same idea but given with a different shorter term
sewing stitch
vsmachine stitch
2.9

A single pass of thread through cloth to hold pieces of cloth together

is produced by a powered device instead of using a needle

How Handmade

machine stitch
3.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

machine + stitch

The meaning is directly and literally compositional: 'machine' (a powered device) + 'stitch' (a sewn loop) yields a stitch produced by a sewing machine. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common noun-noun combination, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Machine stitch comes from the simple picture of a sewing machine making each stitch quickly and evenly, unlike sewing 'by hand'. Because the machine repeats the same action, the stitches are faster, more even and often stronger, so the phrase means 'a stitch made by a sewing machine'.