noun
- an act or instance of patching or repair.
adjective
- done by patching or fixing: a quick patch-up job.
noun
- a small piece of material used to mend a tear or break, to cover a hole, or to strengthen a weak place: patches at the elbows of a sports jacket.
- a piece of material used to cover or protect a wound, an injured part, etc.: a patch over the eye.
- Also called skin patch, trans·der·mal patch. an adhesive patch that applies to the skin and gradually delivers drugs or medication to the user: using a nicotine patch to try to quit smoking.
- any of the pieces of cloth sewed together to form patchwork.
- a small piece, scrap, or area of anything: a patch of ice on the road.
- a piece or tract of land; plot.
- a small field, plot, or garden, especially one in which a specific type of plant grows or is cultivated: a cabbage patch; a bean patch.
- beauty spot(def 1).
- Military. a cloth emblem worn on the upper uniform sleeve to identify the military unit of the wearer.
- a small organizational or affiliational emblem of cloth sewn to one’s jacket, shirt, cap, etc.
- a connection or hookup, as between radio circuits or telephone lines: The patch allowed shut-ins to hear the game by telephone.
- a period of time characterized by some quality: he was going through a rough patch.
- Computers. a small piece of code designed to be inserted into an executable program in order to fix errors in, or update the program or its supporting data.
verb (used with object)
- to mend, cover, or strengthen with or as if with a patch or patches.
- to repair or restore, especially in a hasty or makeshift way (usually followed by up).
- to make by joining patches or pieces together: to patch a quilt.
- to settle or smooth over (a quarrel, difference, etc.) (often followed by up): They patched up their quarrel before the company arrived.
- (especially in radio and telephone communications) to connect or hook up (circuits, programs, conversations, etc.) (often followed by through, into, etc.): The radio show was patched through to the ship. Patch me through to the mainland.
verb (used without object)
- to make a connection between radio circuits, telephone lines, etc. (often followed by in or into): We patched into the ship-to-shore conversation.
noun
-
- a piece of material used to mend a garment or to make patchwork, a sewn-on pocket, etc
- (as modifier)a patch pocket
- a small piece, area, expanse, etc
-
- a small plot of land
- its producea patch of cabbages
- a district for which particular officials, such as social workers or policemen, have responsibilityhe’s a problem that’s on your patch, John
- pathol any discoloured area on the skin, mucous membranes, etc, usually being one sign of a specific disorder
- med
- a protective covering for an injured eye
- any protective dressing
- an imitation beauty spot, esp one made of black or coloured silk, worn by both sexes, esp in the 18th century
- Also called: flash US an identifying piece of fabric worn on the shoulder of a uniform, on a vehicle, etc
- a small contrasting section or stretcha patch of cloud in the blue sky
- a scrap; remnant
- computing a small set of instructions to correct or improve a computer program
- Australian informal the insignia of a motorcycle club or gang
- a bad patch a difficult or troubled time
- not a patch on informal not nearly as good as
verb (tr)
- to mend or supply (a garment, etc) with a patch or patches
- to put together or produce with patches
- (of material) to serve as a patch to
- (often foll by up) to mend hurriedly or in a makeshift way
- (often foll by up) to make (up) or settle (a quarrel)
- to connect (electric circuits) together temporarily by means of a patch board
- (usually foll by through) to connect (a telephone call) by means of a patch board
- computing to correct or improve (a program) by adding a small set of instructions
n.1“piece of cloth used to mend another material,” late 14c., of obscure origin, perhaps a variant of pece, pieche, from Old North French pieche (see piece (n.)), or from an unrecorded Old English word (but Old English had claðflyhte “a patch”). Phrase not a patch on “nowhere near as good as” is from 1860. n.2“fool, clown,” 1540s, perhaps from Italian pazzo “fool,” of unknown origin. Possibly from Old High German barzjan “to rave” [Klein]. But Buck says pazzo is originally euphemistic, and from Latin patiens “suffering,” in medical use, “the patient.” Form perhaps influenced by folk etymology derivation from patch (n.1), on notion of a fool’s patched garb. v.mid-15c., from patch (n.1). Electronics sense of “to connect temporarily” is attested from 1923. Related: Patched; patching. n.
- A small circumscribed area differing from the surrounding surface.
- A dressing or covering applied to protect a wound or sore.
- A transdermal patch.
- A temporary, removable electronic connection, as one between two components in a communications system.
- A piece of code added to software in order to fix a bug, especially as a temporary correction between two versions of the same software.