repriser

The French verb "repriser" means to darn or to mend a piece of fabric, usually by sewing to repair holes or worn areas in clothing like socks or sweaters.

Explanation:

• It involves carefully stitching over a damaged part of the fabric to restore its usefulness and appearance.
• This is a specific type of mending focused on neat, often almost invisible repairs.

Synonyms and differences:

• Rapiécer: Also means "to patch" or "to mend," but usually implies attaching a separate patch of fabric over the hole, rather than stitching the original fabric like "repriser" does.
• Raccommoder: More general, means "to mend" or "repair" clothing or other items. It can include repriser or rapiécer.
• Réparer: A broad term for "to repair," used for objects or machines as well as clothes.
• Coudre: Simply "to sew," without the specific connotation of mending.

So, "repriser" is specifically about careful stitching to fix fabric holes by reinforcing the material itself without adding patches.