suture

1 of 2

noun

su·​ture ˈsü-chər 

1

a

: a strand or fiber used to sew parts of the living body

also : a stitch made with a suture

b

: the act or process of sewing with sutures

2

a

: a uniting of parts

b

: the seam or seamlike line along which two things or parts are sewed or united

3

a

: the line of union in an immovable articulation (as between the bones of the skull)

also : such an articulation

b

: a furrow at the junction of adjacent bodily parts

especially : a line of dehiscence (as on a fruit)

sutural

ˈsü-chə-rəl 

ˈsüch-rəl

adjective

suturally

ˈsü-chə-rə-lē 

ˈsüch-rə-

adverb

suture

2 of 2

verb

sutured; suturing ˈsü-chə-riŋ 

ˈsüch-riŋ

transitive verb

: to unite, close, or secure with sutures

suture a wound

Synonyms

Verb

• darn
• sew
• stitch

Examples of suture in a Sentence

Verb

The surgeon sutured the incision.

the doctor cleaned, sutured, and bandaged the wound

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The internal brace procedure repairs the UCL and then reinforces it with a tape-like suture instead of fixing it through a full reconstruction like Tommy John, which replaces the existing ligament with a graft usually taken from the pitcher’s hamstring tendon. —Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024

Such attributes have attracted engineers wishing to devise synthetic imitations to advance tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, surgical sutures, biodegradable packaging and biosensors. —Barrett Klein, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024

Verb

Doctors still will need to practice sawing into bone and suturing muscles. —Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024

And when Jay Rubin translated The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1995), roughly 25,000 words were left on the cutting-room floor, while hefty structural changes were required to suture the remaining text together. —Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin sutura seam, suture, from sutus, past participle of suere to sew — more at sew

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1777, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing suture

• coronal suture

Kids Definition

suture

1 of 2 noun

su·​ture ˈsü-chər 

1

a

: a stitch made with a suture

b

: a strand or fiber used to sew parts of the living body

c

: the act or process of sewing with sutures

2

: the line of connection in an immovable joint (as between the bones of the skull)

also : such a joint

suture

2 of 2 verb

sutured; suturing ˈsüch-(ə-)riŋ 

: to unite, close, or secure with sutures

suture a wound

Medical Definition

suture

1 of 2 noun

su·​ture ˈsü-chər 

1

a

: a stitch made with a suture

b

: a strand or fiber used to sew parts of the living body

c

: the act or process of sewing with sutures

2

a

: the line of union in an immovable articulation (as between the bones of the skull)

also : such an articulation

b

: a furrow at the junction of adjacent bodily parts

suture

2 of 2 transitive verb

sutured; suturing ˈsüch-(ə-)riŋ 

: to unite, close, or secure with sutures

suture a wound