Pronunciations
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/pæt͡ʃ/
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.
- Examples
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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.
- Examples
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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.
- Examples
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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.
A small, usually contrasting but always somehow different or distinct, part of something else (location, time, size)
- Examples
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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.
More examples (2)
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.
A small area, a small plot of land or piece of ground.
Usage- specifically
- Examples
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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.
More examples (1)
Just the suggestion that a good blueberry patch was near would bring everything to a standstill.
A local region of professional responsibility.
- Examples
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There is a lot to be said in praise of the local or regional outlet that keeps very closely across the doings and news in their patch.
[…] formed a contact with a man, who was the secretary of the tenants' association of a small housing estate in the social worker's patch.
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.
Usage- Historical
- Examples
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Your black patches you wear variously.
More examples (1)
...Then the patches had to be placed—patches full of sentiment, coquetry, and bits of opinions as minute as themselves. Essences and powder had to he scattered together, and Henrietta's long black tresses gathered into a mass which might fairly set all the orders of architecture at defiance.
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.
- Examples
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Many people use a nicotine patch to wean themselves off of nicotine.
A cover worn over a damaged eye, an eyepatch.
- Examples
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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.
- Examples
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More examples (1)
Immediately following the incident Siemens commissioned a software patch that will allow units which protectively shut down below 49Hz to recover themselves without the need of a reboot or laptop when the frequency rises to 49.5Hz. At the beginning of September, this patch was being verified by Siemens software engineers at Erlangen in Germany.
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.
Usage- usually
- Examples
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soundboard patch
A sound setting for a musical synthesizer (originally selected by means of a patch cable).
- Examples
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A synthesizer comes with controls to store patches and edit them. Some high-end synthesizers even have floppy disks for additional patch storage.
An overlay used to obtain a stronger impression.
Usage- Historical
A butterfly of the genus Chlosyne.
Verb
To mend by sewing on a piece or pieces of cloth, leather, or the like.
- Examples
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My coat needs patching.
More examples (1)
That concertina was a wonder in its way. The handles that was on it first was wore out long ago, and he'd made new ones of braided rope yarn. And the bellows was patched in more places than a cranberry picker's overalls.
To mend with pieces; to repair by fastening pieces on.
To make out of pieces or patches, like a quilt.
- Examples
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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.
- Examples
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More examples (1)
[the control panel of hovercraft The Logos has lit up after being jumped by The Hammer] Sparky: She lives again. Crew member of The Hammer via radio: You want us to patch an uplink to reload the software, Sparky? Sparky: Yeah, that'd be swell. And can you clean the windshield while you're at it?
To repair or arrange in a hasty or clumsy manner
- Examples
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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 the changes a patch describes; to apply a patch to the files in question. Hence: To make a quick and possibly temporary change to a program.
To connect two pieces of electrical equipment using a cable.
- Examples
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I'll need to patch the preamp output to the mixer.
Noun
A paltry fellow; a rogue; a ninny; a fool.
Usage- Archaic
- Examples
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Shylock: The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder, Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day More than the wild-cat;[…]
Caliban: What a pied ninny's this! Thou scurvy patch![…]
Noun
a small contrasting part of something
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
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a bald spot
a leopard's spots
More examples (3)
a patch of clouds
patches of thin ice
a fleck of red
a small area of ground covered by specific vegetation
- Synonyms
- Examples
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a bean plot
a cabbage patch
More examples (1)
a briar patch
a piece of cloth used as decoration or to mend or cover a hole
- Broader terms
a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition
- Broader terms
- Examples
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he was here for a little while
I need to rest for a piece
More examples (2)
a spell of good weather
a patch of bad weather
a short set of commands to correct a bug in a computer program
- Broader terms
a connection intended to be used for a limited time
- Synonyms
sewing that repairs a worn or torn hole (especially in a garment)
- Examples
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her stockings had several mends
a protective cloth covering for an injured eye
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
a piece of soft material that covers and protects an injured part of the body
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
Verb
to join or unite the pieces of
- Synonyms
- Examples
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patch the skirt
provide with a patch; also used metaphorically
- Examples
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The field was patched with snow
mend by putting a patch on
- Synonyms
- Examples
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patch a hole
repair by adding pieces
- Synonyms
- Examples
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She pieced the china cup