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1 American
[pach] / pætʃ /
noun
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a small piece of material used to mend a tear or break, to cover a hole, or to strengthen a weak place.
patches at the elbows of a sports jacket.
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a piece of material used to cover or protect a wound, an injured part, etc..
a patch over the eye.
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Also called skin patch,. Also called transdermal patch. an adhesive patch that applies to the skin and gradually delivers drugs or medication to the user.
using a nicotine patch to try to quit smoking.
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any of the pieces of cloth sewed together to form patchwork.
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a small piece, scrap, or area of anything.
a patch of ice on the road.
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a piece or tract of land; plot.
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a small field, plot, or garden, especially one in which a specific type of plant grows or is cultivated: a bean patch.
a cabbage patch;
a bean patch.
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Military. a cloth emblem worn on the upper uniform sleeve to identify the military unit of the wearer.
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a small organizational or affiliational emblem of cloth sewn to one's jacket, shirt, cap, etc.
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a connection or hookup, as between radio circuits or telephone lines.
The patch allowed shut-ins to hear the game by telephone.
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a period of time characterized by some quality.
he was going through a rough patch.
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Computers. a small piece of code designed to be inserted into an executable program in order to fix errors in or update the program or its supporting data.
verb (used with object)
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patches,
present (3rd person singular)
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patched,
past participle, past
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patching
present participle
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to mend, cover, or strengthen with or as if with a patch or patches.
- Synonyms:
- fix
- Antonyms:
- break
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to repair or restore, especially in a hasty or makeshift way (usually followed byup ).
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to make by joining patches or pieces together.
to patch a quilt.
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to settle or smooth over (a quarrel, difference, etc.) (often followed byup ).
They patched up their quarrel before the company arrived.
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(especially in radio and telephone communications) to connect or hook up (circuits, programs, conversations, etc.) (often followed by through, into, etc.): Patch me through to the mainland.
The radio show was patched through to the ship.
Patch me through to the mainland.
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to update (a software program) by downloading and installing a small piece of code in order to fix errors in or update a program or its supporting data.
You may need to manually patch the game to the latest version.
verb (used without object)
-
patches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
patched,
past participle, past
-
patching
present participle
-
to make a connection between radio circuits, telephone lines, etc. (often followed by in orinto ).
We patched into the ship-to-shore conversation.
patch 2 American
[pach] / pætʃ /
noun
-
a clown, fool, or booby.
Patch 3 American
[pach] / pætʃ /
noun
-
Alexander McCarrell 1889–1945, U.S. World War II general.
patch British
/ pætʃ /
noun
-
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a piece of material used to mend a garment or to make patchwork, a sewn-on pocket, etc
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( as modifier )
a patch pocket
-
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a small piece, area, expanse, etc
-
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a small plot of land
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its produce
a patch of cabbages
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a district for which particular officials, such as social workers or policemen, have responsibility
he's a problem that's on your patch, John
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pathol any discoloured area on the skin, mucous membranes, etc, usually being one sign of a specific disorder
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med
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a protective covering for an injured eye
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any protective dressing
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an imitation beauty spot, esp one made of black or coloured silk, worn by both sexes, esp in the 18th century
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Also called: flash. an identifying piece of fabric worn on the shoulder of a uniform, on a vehicle, etc
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a small contrasting section or stretch
a patch of cloud in the blue sky
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a scrap; remnant
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computing a small set of instructions to correct or improve a computer program
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informal the insignia of a motorcycle club or gang
-
a difficult or troubled time
-
informal not nearly as good as
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
verb
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to mend or supply (a garment, etc) with a patch or patches
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to put together or produce with patches
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(of material) to serve as a patch to
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(often foll by up) to mend hurriedly or in a makeshift way
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(often foll by up) to make (up) or settle (a quarrel)
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to connect (electric circuits) together temporarily by means of a patch board
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(usually foll by through) to connect (a telephone call) by means of a patch board
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computing to correct or improve (a program) by adding a small set of instructions
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
patch Scientific
/ păch /
-
A temporary, removable electronic connection, as one between two components in a communications system.
-
A piece of code added to software in order to fix a bug, especially as a temporary correction between two versions of the same software.
Synonym Usage
See mend.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Conjugated Forms
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patch
simple
-
patches
simple
-
have patched
perfect
-
has patched
perfect
-
am patching
progressive
-
are patching
progressive
-
is patching
progressive
-
have been patching
perfect progressive
-
has been patching
perfect progressive
Etymology
Origin of patch1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pacche, patche, pachche; of uncertain origin; perhaps an alteration of Middle French pece, pieche, piece piece ( def. )
Origin of patch2
First recorded in 1540–50; of uncertain origin; perhaps from southern Italian dialect paccio ( Italian pazzo) “fool”
Explanation
When you patch something, you repair it, like when you patch a hole in the knee of your favorite jeans or when road crews use asphalt to patch a pothole in the street. The verb patch describes fixing by filling in a weak spot or by replacing missing material. You might patch a wall, for example, to fill in a hole before you paint it, or even “patch things up” after a disagreement with a friend. As a noun, patch describes a period of time, like a "rough patch;" the material used for fixing, like the patch you sew over a hole in fabric; or even a small piece of land, like a garden patch.
Keep Reading on Vocabulary.comVocabulary lists containing patch
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
patch Patch patches patched patching
Last week, Middle Tennessee State University announced its football team would wear a patch honoring Parton during its home opener against Murray State on Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
An AFP journalist at the scene saw a large emergency services presence and officials inspecting a patch of blood in Times Square, a typically bustling hotspot for tourists.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
On average, about 1 million bacteria live on every patch of skin roughly the size of a pencil eraser.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
"Losing our mother at a young age has helped us to travel through that difficult patch together," William told a mental health conference.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
“We caught the frogs in a patch of poison ivy.”
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
I ask if Sour Patch Kids are gluten-free, and I get a warning about additives in the ingredient list.
From Slate ● May 6, 2026
The bioengineered RPE retinal implant is produced by Regenerative Patch Technologies LLC, a clinical-stage company focused on developing stem cell-based implants for retinal diseases.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 9, 2026
Short of actually being made in the ’80s, this film was engineered in a lab to appeal to Gen X-ers who are nostalgic for Casio watches and Cabbage Patch Kids.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2025
The last veteran of the trenches was Harry Patch, who died in 2009 at the age of 111.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2025
My head was full of my packages and how I would put them on the table and what Anna would say and what Patch would do.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Close to the scene where the remains were found, patches of ground appeared blackened and some vegetation showed signs of fire damage.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
"The sheets I laid, the quilts I covered, and the clothes I wore were all covered with piles of patches," said Xu.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Their tattered remnants, barely held together with patches and stitching, are poignant metaphors for a battered will that keeps fighting even as protections wear thin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
If characteristic patches of preserved collagen can be recognized in those older images, researchers may already have a large archive of fossils worth examining with newer protein analysis techniques.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
What did patches of ground without snow mean?
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
The 39-year-old, who practised as a vet in Pakistan, patched himself up with glue stitches rather than wait at A&E. He said his children are now fearful of being attacked in school.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
A recent visit revealed peeling paint on the hotel’s facade, worn upholstery on some chairs and a few carpets that had been patched unevenly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
They plan to release details of their attack once Apple has patched the underlying issues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
“The vest is patched to show the wear from the guitar strap.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
“No way could we have patched together a plausible story from this. Good Lord. It was weeks before I got over it. Camilla couldn’t even talk for three days.”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
That’s where the group’s volunteers work in concert with Southern California Gas crews patching the scores of potholes created by extreme nature, not by radial tires.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
The move is aimed at patching up a looming funding gap in the country’s public healthcare system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
"We need as many hands on our body, patching all the wounds," she said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
Still, some fear the current condition of L.A.’s streets may worsen despite the efforts of city crews, as Los Angeles has been prioritizing patching roads over repaving them in their entirety lately.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026
Mr. Sidelsky, who was my height, once gave me an old suit of his and, assisted by considerable stitching and patching, I wore that suit every day for almost five years.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.