patching

patch ¹  (pch)

n.

1.

a. A small piece of material affixed to another, larger piece to conceal, reinforce, or repair a worn area, hole, or tear.

b. A small piece of cloth used for patchwork.

2. A small cloth badge affixed to a garment as a decoration or an insignia, as of a military unit.

3.

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

b. A pad or shield of cloth worn over an eye socket or an injured eye.

c. A transdermal patch.

4. See beauty spot.

5.

a. A small piece, part, or section, especially that which differs from or contrasts with the whole: a patch of thin ice; patches of sunlight.

b. A small plot or piece of land, especially one that produces or is used for growing specific vegetation: a briar patch; a bean patch.

6. An indefinite period of time; a spell: weathered a difficult patch after losing his job.

7. A temporary, removable electronic connection, as one between two components in a communications system.

8. Computer Science A piece of code added to software in order to fix a bug, especially as a temporary correction between two releases.

v. patched, patch·ing, patch·es

v.tr.

1. To put a patch or patches on.

2. To make by sewing scraps of material together: patch a quilt.

3. To mend, repair, or put together, especially hastily, clumsily, or poorly: They patched together the broken statues with glue and plaster. The delegates will be forced to patch up their differences.

4. To connect temporarily (electronic components), as with a patch cord.

5. Computer Science To correct a bug in (an item of software), especially as a temporary correction between releases.

v.intr.

Electronics To be connected temporarily.

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[Middle English pacche, perhaps alteration of pece, pieche, piece; see piece.]

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patcha·ble adj.

patcher n.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

patching - the act of mending a hole in a garment by sewing a patch over it fixing, repair, mend, mending, reparation, fix, fixture - the act of putting something in working order again