patch

(păch)

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.

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.

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. Computers 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: patched my pants.

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

v.intr.

Electronics To be connected temporarily.

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

patch′a·ble adj.

patch′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

patched

(pætʃt)

adj

1. (Knitting & Sewing) repaired with patches; covered with patches

2. repaired with patches; covered with patches

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.	1.	patched - mended usually clumsily by covering a hole with a patch; "patched jeans" old - of long duration; not new; "old tradition"; "old house"; "old wine"; "old country"; "old friendships"; "old money"
	2.	patched - having spots or patches (small areas of contrasting color or texture); "a field patched with ice and snow"; "the wall had a spotty speckled effect"; "a black-and-white spotted cow" spotted, spotty patterned - having patterns (especially colorful patterns)