Unstitch

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To undo or remove stitching in fabric or material by pulling out the thread to separate sewn parts ; to reverse the act of sewing that joins cloth or similar items ; to take apart fabric sections by extracting the connecting stitches
2. To carefully loosen or take away stitches that bind pieces of fabric together ; to dismantle sewn seams by detaching the thread that holds them ; to separate joined sections of material by undoing the needlework
3. To extract the thread holding pieces of cloth in place, thereby opening or separating the fabric ; to unfasten sewn joins by removing the stitches connecting the material ; to disassemble sewn constructions by reversing the stitching process

Etymology: "Unstitch" is a plain combination of the reversing prefix "un-" and "stitch," the verb for passing thread through cloth to join it. The prefix has been attached to English verbs since Old English times to mean the reverse of an action, so "unstitch" simply means to undo what a stitch did: pull out the thread and the join comes apart. The same pattern gives us "unbutton," "untie," and "unravel." Because the formation is so transparent, the word's interest lies mostly in how literally it still applies. Its sense is almost unchanged from its parts: a seam is taken apart thread by thread, and the work that held two pieces together is reversed one loop at a time.

Synonyms: unpick, remove stitches, undo stitches, unsew, rip out

Antonyms: stitch, sew, mend, repair, suture