patch

1
[ pach ]
See synonyms for patch on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. 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.

  2. a piece of material used to cover or protect a wound, an injured part, etc.: a patch over the eye.

  1. Also called skin patch, trans·der·mal patch [trans-dur-muhl pach, tranz-] /ˈtrænsˌdɜr məl ˈpætʃ, ˈtrænz-/ . 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.

  2. any of the pieces of cloth sewed together to form patchwork.

  3. a small piece, scrap, or area of anything: a patch of ice on the road.

  4. a piece or tract of land; plot.

  5. 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.

  6. Military. a cloth emblem worn on the upper uniform sleeve to identify the military unit of the wearer.

  7. a small organizational or affiliational emblem of cloth sewn to one's jacket, shirt, cap, etc.

  8. a connection or hookup, as between radio circuits or telephone lines: The patch allowed shut-ins to hear the game by telephone.

  9. a period of time characterized by some quality: he was going through a rough patch.

  10. 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)
  1. to mend, cover, or strengthen with or as if with a patch or patches.

  2. to repair or restore, especially in a hasty or makeshift way (usually followed by up).

  1. to make by joining patches or pieces together: to patch a quilt.

  2. to settle or smooth over (a quarrel, difference, etc.) (often followed by up): They patched up their quarrel before the company arrived.

  3. (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.

  4. to update (a software program) by downloading and installing a small piece of code in order to fix errors in or update a program or its supporting data: You may need to manually patch the game to the latest version.

verb (used without object)
  1. to make a connection between radio circuits, telephone lines, etc. (often followed by in or into): We patched into the ship-to-shore conversation.

Origin of patch

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pacche, patche, pachche; of uncertain origin; perhaps an alteration of Middle French pece, pieche, piece piece

synonym study For patch

14. See mend.

Other words for patch

Opposites for patch

Other words from patch

  • patch·a·ble, adjective
  • patch·er, noun
  • patch·less, adjective
  • un·patched, adjective
  • well-patched, adjective

Words Nearby patch

Other definitions for patch (2 of 3)

patch2
[ pach ]

noun
  1. a clown, fool, or booby.

Origin of patch

2
First recorded in 1540–50; of uncertain origin; perhaps from southern Italian dialect paccio (Italian pazzo) “fool”

Other definitions for Patch (3 of 3)

Patch
[ pach ]

noun
  1. Alexander Mc·Car·rell [muh-kar-uhl], /məˈkær əl/, 1889–1945, U.S. World War II general.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use patch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for patch

patch

/ (pætʃ) /


noun
    • a piece of material used to mend a garment or to make patchwork, a sewn-on pocket, etc

    • (as modifier): a patch pocket

  1. a small piece, area, expanse, etc

    • a small plot of land

    • its produce: a patch of cabbages

  1. a district for which particular officials, such as social workers or policemen, have responsibility: he's a problem that's on your patch, John

  2. pathol any discoloured area on the skin, mucous membranes, etc, usually being one sign of a specific disorder

  3. med

    • a protective covering for an injured eye

    • any protective dressing

  4. an imitation beauty spot, esp one made of black or coloured silk, worn by both sexes, esp in the 18th century

  5. Also called: flash US an identifying piece of fabric worn on the shoulder of a uniform, on a vehicle, etc

  6. a small contrasting section or stretch: a patch of cloud in the blue sky

  7. a scrap; remnant

  8. computing a small set of instructions to correct or improve a computer program

  9. Australian informal the insignia of a motorcycle club or gang

  10. a bad patch a difficult or troubled time

  11. not a patch on informal not nearly as good as

verb(tr)
  1. to mend or supply (a garment, etc) with a patch or patches

  2. to put together or produce with patches

  1. (of material) to serve as a patch to

  2. (often foll by up) to mend hurriedly or in a makeshift way

  3. (often foll by up) to make (up) or settle (a quarrel)

  4. to connect (electric circuits) together temporarily by means of a patch board

  5. (usually foll by through) to connect (a telephone call) by means of a patch board

  6. computing to correct or improve (a program) by adding a small set of instructions

Origin of patch

1
C16 pacche, perhaps from French pieche piece

Derived forms of patch

  • patchable, adjective
  • patcher, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for patch

patch

[ păch ]


  1. A temporary, removable electronic connection, as one between two components in a communications system.

  2. 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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.