patch Meaning & Definition
What Does Patch Mean?
Patch is a noun that means A piece of cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, especially upon an old garment to cover a hole. It can also mean A small piece of anything used to repair damage or a breach; as, a patch on a kettle, a roof, etc. As a verb, it means To mend by sewing on a piece or pieces of cloth, leather, or the like. As a verb, it means (generally with the particle "up") To repair or arrange in a hasty or clumsy manner.
Patch in Brief
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //pæt͡ʃ// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | piece, mend and spot |
| Plural | patches |
| Verb forms | patches, patching, patched |
Patch Definition (Noun)
- A piece of cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, especially upon an old garment to cover a hole.
His sleeves had patches on the elbows where different fabric had been sewn on to replace material that had worn away.
- A small piece of anything used to repair damage or a breach; as, a patch on a kettle, a roof, etc.
I can't afford to replace the roof, which is what it really needs. I'll have the roofer apply a patch.
- A piece of any size, used to repair something for a temporary period only, or that it is temporary because it is not meant to last long or will be removed as soon as a proper repair can be made, which will happen in the near future.
Before you can fix a dam, you have to apply a patch to the hole so that everything can dry off.
- A small, usually contrasting but always somehow different or distinct, part of something else (location, time, size)
The world economy had a rough patch in the 1930s.
- A small area, a small plot of land or piece of ground.
scattered patches of trees or growing corn
- A local region of professional responsibility.
- A small piece of black silk stuck on the face or neck to heighten beauty by contrast, worn by ladies in the 17th and 18th centuries; an imitation beauty mark.
- A piece of material used to cover a wound.
- An adhesive piece of material, impregnated with a drug, which is worn on the skin, the drug being slowly absorbed over a period of time.
Many people use a nicotine patch to wean themselves off of nicotine.
- A cover worn over a damaged eye, an eyepatch.
He had scratched his cornea so badly that his doctor told him to wear a patch.
- A block on the muzzle of a gun, to do away with the effect of dispart, in sighting.
- A piece of data intended to modify a computer file by replacing a part of it.
- A small piece of material that is manually passed through a gun barrel to clean it.
- A piece of greased cloth or leather used as wrapping for a rifle ball, to make it fit the bore.
- A cable connecting two pieces of electrical equipment.
soundboard patch
- A sound setting for a musical synthesizer (originally selected by means of a patch cable).
- An overlay used to obtain a stronger impression.
- Ellipsis of patch town or coal patch.
- A butterfly of the genus Chlosyne.
Patch as a Verb
- To mend by sewing on a piece or pieces of cloth, leather, or the like.
My coat needs patching.
- To mend with pieces; to repair by fastening pieces on.
- To make out of pieces or patches, like a quilt.
I patched together this quilt.
- To join or unite the pieces of; to patch the skirt.
- To employ a temporary, removable electronic connection, as one between two components in a communications system.
- To repair or arrange in a hasty or clumsy manner
The truce between the two countries has been patched up.
- To make the changes a patch describes; to apply a patch to the files in question. Hence: To fix or improve a computer program without a complete upgrade. To make a quick and possibly temporary change to a program.
- To fix or improve a computer program without a complete upgrade.
- To make a quick and possibly temporary change to a program.
- To connect two pieces of electrical equipment using a cable.
I'll need to patch the preamp output to the mixer.
Noun
- A paltry fellow; a rogue; a ninny; a fool.
Noun
- (specifically) A small area, a small plot of land or piece of ground.
Scattered patches of trees or growing corn.
- A patch file, a file that describes changes to be made to a computer file or files, usually changes made to a computer program that fix a programming bug.
- (often patch cable, patch cord etc.; see also patch panel) A cable connecting two pieces of electrical equipment.
Verb
- (generally with the particle "up") To repair or arrange in a hasty or clumsy manner
The truce between the two countries has been patched up.
- To make the changes a patch describes; to apply a patch to the files in question. Hence:
Synonyms of Patch
Antonyms of Patch
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Patch in a Sentence
His sleeves had patches on the elbows where different fabric had been sewn on to replace material that had worn away.
I can't afford to replace the roof, which is what it really needs. I'll have the roofer apply a patch.
Before you can fix a dam, you have to apply a patch to the hole so that everything can dry off.
"This patch should hold until you reach the city," the mechanic said as he patted the car's hood.
The world economy had a rough patch in the 1930s.
To me, a normal cow is white with black patches, but Sarah's from Texas and most of the cows there have solid brown, black, or red coats.
Doesn't that patch of clouds looks like a bunny?
When ice skating, be sure to stay away from reeds: there are always thin patches of ice there, and you could fall through.
scattered patches of trees or growing corn
There was a blackberry patch down by the creek, and his grandparents called the pasture down there the cow patch.
Many people use a nicotine patch to wean themselves off of nicotine.
He had scratched his cornea so badly that his doctor told him to wear a patch.
soundboard patch
My coat needs patching.
I patched together this quilt.
The truce between the two countries has been patched up.
I'll need to patch the preamp output to the mixer.
Scattered patches of trees or growing corn.
Word Forms & Grammar
patch (plural patches)
patch (third-person singular simple present patches, present participle patching, simple past and past participle patched)
Words That Rhyme With Patch
Origin of Patch
Origin 1: From Middle English patche, of uncertain origin. Perhaps an alteration of earlier Middle English placche (“patch, spot, piece of cloth”), from Old English *plæċċ, *pleċċ (“a spot, mark, patch”), from Proto-West Germanic *plakkju, from Proto-Germanic *plakjō (“spot, stain”). For the loss of l compare pat from Middle English platten. Germanic cognates would then include Middle English plecke, dialectal English pleck (“plot of ground, patch”), West Frisian plak (“place, spot”), Low German Plakk, Plakke (“spot, piece, patch”), Dutch plek (“spot, place, stain, patch”), Dutch plak (“piece, slab”), Swedish plagg (“garment”), Faroese plagg (“cloth, rag”).[1]
Origin 2: Or, possibly a variant of Old French pieche, dialectal variant of piece (“piece”). Compare also Old Occitan petaç (“patch”).[2]
Origin 3: Perhaps borrowed from Italian pazzo or paggio; the form influenced by folk etymological association with patch (Etymology 1).
How Do You Say Patch?
Patch is pronounced //pæt͡ʃ// and has 1 syllable.
Quick Answers About Patch
Is patch a noun or a verb?
Patch is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for patch?
Close synonyms of patch are piece, mend and spot. See the full list of patch synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of patch?
The plural of patch is patches.
What is the past tense of patch?
The past tense of patch is patched. The present participle is patching.