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su·ture (schər)
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n.
1.
a. The process of joining two surfaces or edges together along a line by sewing.
b. The material, such as thread, gut, or wire, that is used in this procedure.
c. The line or stitch so formed.
2. Medicine
a. The fine thread or other material used surgically to close a wound or join tissues.
b. The stitch so formed.
3. Anatomy The line of junction or an immovable joint between two bones, especially of the skull.
4. Biology A seamlike joint or line of articulation, such as the line of dehiscence in a dry fruit or the spiral seam marking the junction of whorls of a gastropod shell.
tr.v. su·tured, su·tur·ing, su·tures
To join by means of sutures or a suture.

[Middle English, from Latin sūtūra, from sūtus, past participle of suere, to sew; see syū- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

sutur·al adj.
sutur·al·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.