patch

[ pach ]

/ pætʃ /

Save This Word!

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 [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.

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.

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)

to make a connection between radio circuits, telephone lines, etc. (often followed by in or into): We patched into the ship-to-shore conversation.

OTHER WORDS FOR patch

14 fix.

See synonyms for patch on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR patch

14 break.

See antonyms for patch on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of patch

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 FROM patch

patch·a·ble, adjectivepatch·er, nounpatch·less, adjectiveun·patched, adjective

well-patched, adjective

Words nearby patch

Patagonian hare, Patagonian toothfish, pataka, Patanjali, pataphysics, patch, patch board, patch cord, Patchen, Patchogue, patchouli

Other definitions for patch (2 of 3)

patch²

[ pach ]

/ pætʃ /

noun

a clown, fool, or booby.

Origin of patch

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 ]

/ pætʃ /

noun

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. 2022

How to use patch in a sentence

In higher-latitude regions, such as the Tasman Sea, relief tended to be much closer, within a few tens of kilometers of the overheated patch, the researchers found.
Species may swim thousands of kilometers to escape ocean heat waves|Carolyn Gramling|August 10, 2020|Science News
The officers’ uniforms bear a large patch that says “police,” but they aren’t police.
What Happened In Portland Shows Just How Fragile Our Democracy Is|Maggie Koerth (maggie.koerth-baker@fivethirtyeight.com)|August 5, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Microraptor’s shorter feathers appear in just a small patch on one of the dinosaur’s four wings — suggesting that the dinosaur molted sequentially, too, bird ecologist Yosef Kiat at the University of Haifa in Israel and colleagues report.
This dinosaur may have shed its feathers like modern songbirds|Carolyn Gramling|July 16, 2020|Science News
Other times, they arranged patches of spikes in different directions.
Shape-shifting cuts give shoes a better grip|Carolyn Wilke|July 14, 2020|Science News For Students

Broken pipes and pumps are fixed in patches when money comes through from both federal governments or via the North American Development Bank.
Local Groups Pause Tijuana Sewage Lawsuits, But Solutions Are Still Far Off|MacKenzie Elmer|July 8, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Kocurek now works 12-hour shifts as a night watchman guarding the entrance to a drilling patch.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Annie Leibovitz had hit a pretty rough patch in life by 2009.
Annie Leibovitz Talks About ‘Pilgrimage,’ Susan Sontag, Vogue & More|Justin Jones|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the illusions of peace and tranquility soon crumble around them like a patch of freshly laid snow.
‘Force Majeure’ and the Swedish Family Vacation From Hell|Alex Suskind|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was a patch of congealed blood behind his head: “Except for the blood…the dead man looked immaculate.”
How to Get Away With a Hollywood Murder|Tim Teeman|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A powder-blue blazer with a patch reading “All-Time All-American” hung in a clear plastic bag from the closet doorknob.
Football Great Bob Suffridge Wanders Through the End Zone of Life|Paul Hemphill|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A few, very few, little dots had run back over that green patch—the others had passed down into the world of darkness.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
In a minute Bruce was back with his hat full of water from the creek that whimpered just beyond the willow patch.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
The patch of soft green that I knew for the cottonwoods Rutter had spoken of drew my roving gaze whether I would or no.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
A patch of light fell clear on the side of the trap, and on Longcluse's ungloved hand as he leaned on it.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The male Black Redstart has also a white patch on the wing caused by the pale, nearly white, margins of the feathers.
Birds of Guernsey (1879)|Cecil Smith

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

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

Derived forms of patch

patchable, adjectivepatcher, noun

Word Origin for patch

C16 pacche, perhaps from French pieche piece

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

Medical definitions for patch

patch

[ păch ]

A small circumscribed area differing from the surrounding surface.

A dressing or covering applied to protect a wound or sore.

A transdermal patch.

Scientific definitions for patch

patch

[ păch ]

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.

patch

OTHER WORDS FOR patch

OPPOSITES FOR patch

Origin of patch

synonym study for patch

OTHER WORDS FROM patch

Words nearby patch

Other definitions for patch (2 of 3)

Origin of patch

Other definitions for patch (3 of 3)

Words related to patch

How to use patch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for patch

Derived forms of patch

Word Origin for patch

Medical definitions for patch

Scientific definitions for patch