Forsew

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Archaic term meaning to close something completely by stitching it together with thread or cord
2. An obsolete verb for sewing something shut so that no opening remains between the stitched edges
3. Old-fashioned word for stitching up an opening so that it is fully closed off

Etymology: Despite its spelling, "forsew" has nothing to do with stitching. It comes from the Old English verb "forsēon," built from "for-," meaning "away" or "amiss," and "sēon," meaning "to see." The Old English sense was roughly "to look away from," and from that came "to reject, neglect, or give up on something." The "sew" spelling reflects the medieval spelling of "see," which was written in several variant forms before English spelling settled. The verb was never common, and in later English it survived mainly in the sense of "to shun" or "to refuse." Its sewing-like appearance is a coincidence of spelling, and the two verbs are unrelated. Dictionaries record it as obsolete, so you are unlikely to meet it outside older texts.