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,. Also called transdermal 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 bean patch.
a cabbage patch;
a bean patch.
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.
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 byup ).
to make by joining patches or pieces together.
to patch a quilt.
to settle or smooth over (a quarrel, difference, etc.) (often followed byup ).
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.): Patch me through to the mainland.
The radio show was patched through to the ship.
Patch me through to the mainland.
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.
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 produce
a patch of cabbages
a district for which particular officials, such as social workers or policemen, have responsibility
he'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. an identifying piece of fabric worn on the shoulder of a uniform, on a vehicle, etc
a small contrasting section or stretch
a patch of cloud in the blue sky
a scrap; remnant
computing a small set of instructions to correct or improve a computer program
informal the insignia of a motorcycle club or gang
a difficult or troubled time
informal not nearly as good as
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
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.
See mend.
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pacche, patche, pachche; of uncertain origin; perhaps an alteration of Middle French pece, pieche, piece piece ( def. )
First recorded in 1540–50; of uncertain origin; perhaps from southern Italian dialect paccio ( Italian pazzo) “fool”
When you patch something, you repair it, like when you patch a hole in the knee of your favorite jeans or when road crews use asphalt to patch a pothole in the street. The verb patch describes fixing by filling in a weak spot or by replacing missing material. You might patch a wall, for example, to fill in a hole before you paint it, or even “patch things up” after a disagreement with a friend. As a noun, patch describes a period of time, like a "rough patch;" the material used for fixing, like the patch you sew over a hole in fabric; or even a small piece of land, like a garden patch.
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With few signs of new drilling in the American oil patch, a continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz signals even bigger profits and dividends in the months ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
"Well, we just won two trophies last year, so, you know, it kind of depends - a rough patch for whom?" fellow Clearlake co-founder Jose Feliciano told Bloomberg.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
One especially noticeable blue-black patch in the rougher section of the valley is believed to be volcanic ash that was later redistributed by Martian winds, as seen in the accompanying 3D perspective views.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2026
Passengers often have to buy tickets from different operators to patch together a multi-country journey.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
At one point, she came upon an open shaft rising up through the ice, and high overhead was a small patch of sky.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
