Patch definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PATCH, n.
1. A piece of cloth sewed on a garment to repair it.
2. A small piece of any thing used to repair a breach.
3. A small piece of silk used to cover a defect on the face, or to add a charm.
4. A piece inserted in mosaic or variegated work.
5. A small piece of ground, or a small detached piece.
6. A paltry fellow. This use is sometimes heard in vulgar language; as a cross-patch.
PATCH, v.t. To mend by sewing on a piece or pieces; as, to patch a coat.
1. To adorn with a patch or with patches.
In the middle boxes were several ladies who patched both sides of their faces.
2. To mend with pieces; to repair clumsily.
3. To repair with pieces fastened on; as, to patch the roof of a house.
4. To make up of pieces and shreds.
5. To dress in a party-colored coat.
6. To make suddenly or hastily; to make without regard to forms; as, to patch up a peace.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a small contrasting part of something; "a bald spot"; "a leopard's spots"; "a patch of clouds"; "patches of thin ice"; "a fleck of red" [syn: spot, speckle, dapple, patch, fleck, maculation]
2: a small area of ground covered by specific vegetation; "a bean plot"; "a cabbage patch"; "a briar patch" [syn: plot, plot of land, plot of ground, patch]
3: a piece of cloth used as decoration or to mend or cover a hole
4: a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition; "he was here for a little while"; "I need to rest for a piece"; "a spell of good weather"; "a patch of bad weather" [syn: while, piece, spell, patch]
5: a short set of commands to correct a bug in a computer program
6: a connection intended to be used for a limited time [syn: temporary hookup, patch]
7: sewing that repairs a worn or torn hole (especially in a garment); "her stockings had several mends" [syn: mend, patch, darn]
8: a protective cloth covering for an injured eye [syn: eyepatch, patch]
9: a piece of soft material that covers and protects an injured part of the body [syn: bandage, patch] v
1: to join or unite the pieces of; "patch the skirt" [syn: patch, piece]
2: provide with a patch; also used metaphorically; "The field was patched with snow"
3: mend by putting a patch on; "patch a hole" [syn: patch, patch up]
4: repair by adding pieces; "She pieced the china cup" [syn: piece, patch]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English pacche Date: 14th century 1. a piece of material used to mend or cover a hole or a weak spot 2. a tiny piece of black silk or court plaster worn on the face or neck especially by women to hide a blemish or to heighten beauty 3. a. a piece of material (as adhesive plaster) used medically usually to cover a wound b. a usually disk-shaped piece of material that is worn on the skin and contains a substance (as a drug) that is absorbed at a constant rate through the skin into the bloodstream <a nicotine patch> c. a shield worn over the socket of an injured or missing eye 4. a. a small piece ; scrap b. a part or area distinct from that about it <cabbage patch> c. a period of time ; spell <was going through a rough patch> 5. someone or something equal or comparable — usually used in negative constructions <the new chairman isn't a patch on his predecessor> 6. a piece of cloth sewed on a garment as an ornament or insignia; especially shoulder patch 7. a temporary connection in a communication system (as a telephone hookup) 8. a minor correction or modification in a computer program II. transitive verb Date: 15th century 1. to mend, cover, or fill up a hole or weak spot in 2. to provide with a patch 3. a. to make of patches or fragments b. to mend or put together especially in hasty or shabby fashion — usually used with up c. to apply a patch to (a computer program) 4. a. to connect (as circuits) by a patch cord b. to connect (as a person or message) to a communication system especially temporarily <they patched him into the conference call> Synonyms: see mend III. noun Etymology: perhaps by folk etymology from Italian dialect paccio Date: 1549 fool, dolt

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a piece of material or metal etc. used to mend a hole or as reinforcement. 2 a pad worn to protect an injured eye. 3 a dressing etc. put over a wound. 4 a large or irregular distinguishable area on a surface. 5 colloq. a period of time in terms of its characteristic quality (went through a bad patch). 6 a piece of ground. 7 colloq. an area assigned to or patrolled by an authorized person, esp. a police officer. 8 a number of plants growing in one place (brier patch). 9 a scrap or remnant. 10 a temporary electrical connection. 11 hist. a small disc etc. of black silk attached to the face, worn esp. by women in the 17th-18th c. for adornment. 12 Mil. a piece of cloth on a uniform as the badge of a unit. --v.tr. 1 (often foll. by up) repair with a patch or patches; put a patch or patches on. 2 (of material) serve as a patch to. 3 (often foll. by up) put together, esp. hastily or in a makeshift way. 4 (foll. by up) settle (a quarrel etc.) esp. hastily or temporarily. Phrases and idioms: not a patch on colloq. greatly inferior to. patch cord an insulated lead with a plug at each end, for use with a patchboard. patch panel = PATCHBOARD. patch pocket one made of a piece of cloth sewn on a garment. patch test a test for allergy by applying to the skin patches containing allergenic substances. Derivatives: patcher n. Etymology: ME pacche, patche, perh. var. of peche f. OF pieche dial. var. of piece PIECE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Patch Patch, n. [OE. pacche; of uncertain origin, perh. for placche; cf. Prov. E. platch patch, LG. plakk, plakke.] 1. A piece of cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, esp. upon an old garment to cover a hole. Patches set upon a little breach. --Shak. 2. Hence: A small piece of anything used to repair a breach; as, a patch on a kettle, a roof, etc. 3. A small piece of black silk stuck on the face, or neck, to hide a defect, or to heighten beauty. Your black patches you wear variously. --Beau. & Fl. 4. (Gun.) A piece of greased cloth or leather used as wrapping for a rifle ball, to make it fit the bore. 5. Fig.: Anything regarded as a patch; a small piece of ground; a tract; a plot; as, scattered patches of trees or growing corn. Employed about this patch of ground. --Bunyan. 6. (Mil.) A block on the muzzle of a gun, to do away with the effect of dispart, in sighting. 7. A paltry fellow; a rogue; a ninny; a fool. [Obs. or Colloq.] ``Thou scurvy patch.'' --Shak. Patch ice, ice in overlapping pieces in the sea. Soft patch, a patch for covering a crack in a metallic vessel, as a steam boiler, consisting of soft material, as putty, covered and held in place by a plate bolted or riveted fast.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Patch Patch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Patched; p. pr. & vb. n. Patching.] 1. To mend by sewing on a piece or pieces of cloth, leather, or the like; as, to patch a coat. 2. To mend with pieces; to repair with pieces festened on; to repair clumsily; as, to patch the roof of a house. 3. To adorn, as the face, with a patch or patches. Ladies who patched both sides of their faces. --Spectator. 4. To make of pieces or patches; to repair as with patches; to arrange in a hasty or clumsy manner; -- generally with up; as, to patch up a truce. ``If you'll patch a quarrel.'' --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(patches, patching, patched) 1. A patch on a surface is a part of it which is different in appearance from the area around it. ...the bald patch on the top of his head... There was a small patch of blue in the grey clouds. N-COUNT: usu with supp 2. A patch of land is a small area of land where a particular plant or crop grows. ...a patch of land covered in forest. ...the little vegetable patch in her backyard. N-COUNT: with supp, oft N of n 3. A patch is a piece of material which you use to cover a hole in something. ...jackets with patches on the elbows. N-COUNT 4. A patch is a small piece of material which you wear to cover an injured eye. She went to the hospital and found him lying down with a patch over his eye. N-COUNT see also eye patch 5. If you patch something that has a hole in it, you mend it by fastening a patch over the hole. He and Walker patched the barn roof... ...their patched clothes. VERB: V n, V-ed 6. A patch is a piece of computer program code written as a temporary solution for dealing with a virus in computer software and distributed by the makers of the original program. (COMPUTING) Older machines will need a software patch to be loaded to correct the date. N-COUNT 7. If you have or go through a bad patch or a rough patch, you have a lot of problems for a time. (mainly BRIT) His marriage was going through a bad patch... PHRASE: N inflects 8. If you say that someone or something is not a patch on another person or thing, you mean that they are not as good as that person or thing. (BRIT INFORMAL) Handsome, she thought, but not a patch on Alex. PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Piece. 2. Tract, parcel, plot.

Moby Thesaurus

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