Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to sew
Participle: sewn (E)
Gerund: sewing
Indicative
Present
| I | sew |
| you | sew |
| he;she;it | sews |
| we | sew |
| you | sew |
| they | sew |
Perfect
| I | have sewn (E) |
| you | have sewn (E) |
| he;she;it | has sewn (E) |
| we | have sewn (E) |
| you | have sewn (E) |
| they | have sewn (E) |
Past
| I | sewed |
| you | sewed |
| he;she;it | sewed |
| we | sewed |
| you | sewed |
| they | sewed |
Pluperfect
| I | had sewn (E) |
| you | had sewn (E) |
| he;she;it | had sewn (E) |
| we | had sewn (E) |
| you | had sewn (E) |
| they | had sewn (E) |
Future
| I | will sew |
| you | will sew |
| he;she;it | will sew |
| we | will sew |
| you | will sew |
| they | will sew |
Future Perfect
| I | will have sewn (E) |
| you | will have sewn (E) |
| he;she;it | will have sewn (E) |
| we | will have sewn (E) |
| you | will have sewn (E) |
| they | will have sewn (E) |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | sew |
| you | sew |
| he;she;it | sew |
| we | sew |
| you | sew |
| they | sew |
Perfect
| I | have sewn (E) |
| you | have sewn (E) |
| he;she;it | have sewn (E) |
| we | have sewn (E) |
| you | have sewn (E) |
| they | have sewn (E) |
Imperfect
| I | sewed |
| you | sewed |
| he;she;it | sewed |
| we | sewed |
| you | sewed |
| they | sewed |
Pluperfect
| I | had sewn (E) |
| you | had sewn (E) |
| he;she;it | had sewn (E) |
| we | had sewn (E) |
| you | had sewn (E) |
| they | had sewn (E) |
Conditional
Present
| I | would sew |
| you | would sew |
| he;she;it | would sew |
| we | would sew |
| you | would sew |
| they | would sew |
Perfect
| I | would have sewn (E) |
| you | would have sewn (E) |
| he;she;it | would have sewn (E) |
| we | would have sewn (E) |
| you | would have sewn (E) |
| they | would have sewn (E) |
Imperative
| you | sew |
| we | Let's sew |
| you | sew |
Verbs similar to 'sew'
dew,
hew,
jew,
Jew,
lew,
mew,
new,
pew,
saw,
sed,
Synonyms & Antonyms
Additional Information
The regular form is used in American English
Phrasal Verbs
Etymology
1. O.E.
siwian "to stitch," earlier
siowian, from P.Gmc.
*siwjanan (cf. O.N.
syja, Swed.
sy, O.H.G.
siuwan, Goth.
siujan "to sew"), from PIE base
*siw-/*sju- "to sew" (cf. Skt.
sivyati "sews,"
sutram "thread, string;" Gk.
hymen "thin skin, membrane,"
hymnos "song;" L.
suere "to sew, sew together;" O.C.S.
sijo "to sew,"
sivu "seam;" Lett.
siuviu, siuti "to sew,"
siuvikis "tailor;" Rus.
svec "tailor").
Sewing machine is attested from 1847.
2. From Middle English sewen, sowen, from Old English siwian, seowian, seowan (“to sew, mend, patch, knit together, link, unite”), from Proto-Germanic *siwjaną (“to sew”), from Proto-Indo-European *syewH- (“to sew”). Cognate with Scots sew, North Frisian saie, sei, Saterland Frisian säie, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish sy, and, more distantly, Polish szyć, Russian шить (šitʹ), Latin suō, Sanskrit सीव्यति (sī́vyati). Related to seam. See: Old English '
siwian', Proto-Germanic '
*siwjaną', Frisian, Northern 'saie', Frisian, Saterlandic 'säie', Polish '
szyć', Russian '
шить', Latin '
suō', Sanskrit '
सीव्यति'.
Verbs referencing "sew"
Danish
sy, Norwegian
sy, Russian
шить, Lithuanian
siūti, Sanskrit
सीव्यति.
Sample Sentences
-
[...] the farm, they work with spades, rakes, and hoes. For amusement, they walk, run, fish, paint, read, and ride out to take the air in carriages provided for the purpose. They have among themselves a sewing society to make clothes for the poor, which holds meetings, passes resolutions, never comes to fisty-cuffs or bowie-knives as sane assemblies have been known to do elsewhere; and conducts all its [...]
(American Notes for General Circulation)
-
The boat swept proudly away from the shore, and all went on merrily, as before. Men talked, and loafed, and read, and smoked. Women sewed, and children played, and the boat passed on her way.
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
Rachel came out into the kitchen, where Eliza was sewing, and opening the door of a small bed-room, said, gently, “ Come in here with me, my daughter; I have news to tell thee. ”
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
[...] Even Marie declared that it was absolutely fatiguing to see Cousin Ophelia always so busy. And, in fact, Miss Ophelia's industry was so incessant as to lay some foundation for the complaint. She sewed and stitched away, from daylight till dark, with the energy of one who is pressed on by some immediate urgency; and then, when the light faded, and the work was folded away, with one turn out came [...]
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
“ Do you know how to sew ? ” said Miss Ophelia, who thought she would turn her inquiries to something more tangible.
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
[...] parts, where there are no railroads. As nearly as could be expressed, they could be comprised in very few words: to teach them to mind when they were spoken to; to teach them the catechism, sewing, and reading; and to whip them if they told lies. And though, of course, in the flood of light that is now poured on education, these are left far away in the rear, yet it is an undisputed fact that [...]
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
[...] Miss Ophelia, after this, did labor, with a commendable degree of zeal and energy, on her new subject. She instituted regular hours and employments for her, and undertook to teach her to read and sew.
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
[...] as if by magic, and was very soon able to read plain reading; but the sewing was a more difficult matter. The creature was as lithe as a cat, and as active as a monkey, and the confinement of sewing was her abomination; so she broke her needles, threw them slyly out of the window, or down in chinks of the walls; she tangled, broke, and dirtied her thread, or, with a sly movement, would throw a [...]
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
[...] ” said George; “ a beautiful, intelligent, amiable girl. Very pious. My mother had brought her up, and trained her as carefully, almost, as a daughter. She could read and write, embroider and sew, beautifully; and was a beautiful singer. ”
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)