Smyth sewing

noun

A method of hardcover bookbinding in which the signatures of the book are folded and stitched through the fold before being sewn and glued together at the spine to form a text block.

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Meanings

nounSmyth sewing (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA method of hardcover bookbinding in which the signatures of the book are folded and stitched through the fold before being sewn and glued together at the spine to form a text block.

Origin

Named after David McConnell Smyth (1833–1907), inventor of the first book-sewing machine.

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Cite this entry
APA

Smyth sewing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Smyth%20sewing

MLA

“Smyth sewing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Smyth%20sewing. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Smyth sewing,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Smyth%20sewing.

Source: Smyth sewing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.