patchwork
Americannoun
-
patchworks
plural
adjective
verb (used with object)
-
to make as patchwork.
She specializes in patchworking skirts.
-
to assemble or connect in making patchwork.
to patchwork neckties into bedspreads.
noun
-
needlework done by sewing pieces of different materials together
-
something, such as a theory, made up of various parts
a patchwork of cribbed ideas
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of patchwork
Vocabulary lists containing patchwork
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On-site operations have been complicated by the fens' terrain -- a patchwork of heath, peat bogs and raised wooden boardwalks.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Companies have had mixed opinions about the ingredient regulatory effort, since some have pushed Congress to pass rules that could pre-empt a patchwork of state laws.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The biggest changes are visible across Conwy, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Merseyside, where areas that were previously a patchwork of green fields and grassland are now covered by light brown tones, indicating extensive vegetation stress.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The project is funded through a patchwork of public and private sources, including a $10.1 million investment from the Bezos Earth Fund, the climate philanthropy organization founded by Amazon Executive Chair Jeff Bezos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The road which passed the cabin lay like a thread dropped on a patchwork quilt.
From "Sounder" by William H. Armstrong
Lek’s paintings are so layered that they have been likened to quilts — rich patchworks that remind viewers how much more there is to see.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
Across the state, Marshall has documented the transformation of landscapes historically characterized by patchworks of saplings, mature trees, shrubs and meadows — all shaped by frequent, small fires.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 1, 2023
Bennie Herron’s expressionist style turns Black faces into complex patchworks embroidered with symbols.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 3, 2023
Scientists hope patchworks of multi-coloured crops will help hide them "in plain sight" from pests as a natural alternative to pesticides.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2022
It makes the stories patchworks, not beautiful rugs.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
