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patch

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 path," 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.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: patch

1	n v	a small contrasting part of something provide with a patch; also used metaphorically
2	n v	a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition to join or unite the pieces of
3	n	a short set of commands to correct a bug in a computer program

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: patch

n a small contrasting part of something

“a patch of clouds”

“patches of thin ice”

Synonyms:: dapple, fleck, maculation, speckle, spot

Types:: show 16 types...; hide 16 types...; pinpoint, speck
a very small spot; nebula
(pathology) a faint cloudy spot on the cornea; splash
a patch of bright color; fret, worn spot
a spot that has been worn away by abrasion or erosion; plaque
(pathology) a small abnormal patch on or inside the body; macula, macule
a patch of skin that is discolored but not usually elevated; caused by various diseases; mock sun, parhelion, sundog
a bright spot on the parhelic circle; caused by diffraction by ice crystals; macula, sunspot
a cooler darker spot appearing periodically on the sun's photosphere; associated with a strong magnetic field; facula
a large bright spot on the sun's photosphere occurring most frequently in the vicinity of sunspots; facula
a bright spot on a planet; amyloid plaque, amyloid protein plaque
a plaque consisting of tangles of amyloid protein in nervous tissue (a pathological mark of Alzheimer's disease); arterial plaque
a fatty deposit inside an arterial wall; characteristic of atherosclerosis; bacterial plaque, dental plaque
a film of mucus and bacteria deposited on the teeth that encourages the development of dental caries; freckle, lentigo
a small brownish spot (of the pigment melanin) on the skin; liver spot
a type of skin disease that causes brown spots on the skin; plague spot
a spot on the skin characteristic of the plague

Type of:: marking
a pattern of marks

n a piece of cloth used as decoration or to mend or cover a hole

Types:: flash
a bright patch of color used for decoration or identification; pasty
(usually used in the plural) one of a pair of adhesive patches worn to cover the nipples of exotic dancers and striptease performers; shoulder patch
patch worn on the shoulder of a military uniform to indicate rank

Type of:: piece of cloth, piece of material
a separate part consisting of fabric

n sewing that repairs a worn or torn hole (especially in a garment)

Synonyms:: darn, mend

Type of:: sewing, stitchery
needlework on which you are working with needle and thread

n a piece of soft material that covers and protects an injured part of the body

Synonyms:: bandage

Types:: show 16 types...; hide 16 types...; adhesive bandage
bandage consisting of a medical dressing of plain absorbent gauze held in place by a plastic or fabric tape coated with adhesive; capeline bandage
bandage that covers the head or an amputation stump like a cap; cast, plaster bandage, plaster cast
bandage consisting of a firm covering (often made of plaster of Paris) that immobilizes broken bones while they heal; compression bandage, tourniquet
bandage that stops the flow of blood from an artery by applying pressure; elastic bandage
a bandage containing stretchable material that can apply local pressure; four-tailed bandage
a bandage consisting of a strip of cloth split in two on both ends; the central part is placed under the chin to restrict motion of the mandible and the tails are tied over the top of the head; immovable bandage
a bandage of cloth impregnated with a substance (e.g., plaster of Paris) that hardens soon after it is applied; oblique bandage
a bandage in which successive turns proceed obliquely up or down a limb; roller bandage
bandage consisting of a strip of sterile fabric (of variable width) rolled into a cylinder to facilitate application; scarf bandage, sling, triangular bandage
bandage to support an injured forearm; consisting of a wide triangular piece of cloth hanging from around the neck; suspensory, suspensory bandage
a bandage of elastic fabric applied to uplift a dependant part (as the scrotum or a pendulous breast); swathe, wrapping
an enveloping bandage; truss
(medicine) a bandage consisting of a pad and belt; worn to hold a hernia in place by pressure; Band Aid
trade name for an adhesive bandage to cover small cuts or blisters; Elastoplast
an elastic adhesive bandage for covering cuts or wounds; spiral bandage
an oblique bandage in which successive turns overlap preceding turns

Type of:: dressing, medical dressing
a cloth covering for a wound or sore

n a protective cloth covering for an injured eye

Synonyms:: eyepatch

Type of:: cloth covering
a covering made of cloth

n a small area of ground covered by specific vegetation

“a cabbage patch”

“a briar patch”

Synonyms:: plot, plot of ground, plot of land

Examples:: Hanging Gardens of Babylon
a terraced garden at Babylon watered by pumps from the Euphrates; construction attributed to Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BC; Tuileries Gardens
formal gardens next to the Louvre in Paris

Types:: show 22 types...; hide 22 types...; bed
a plot of ground in which plants are growing; garden
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated; asparagus bed
a bed in which asparagus is growing; bed of flowers, flower bed, flowerbed
a bed in which flowers are growing; flower garden
a garden featuring flowering plants; formal garden
a garden laid out on regular lines with plants arranged in symmetrical locations or in geometrical designs; grove, orchard, plantation, woodlet
garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth; herb garden
a garden for growing herbs; hop field, hop garden
a garden where hops are grown; hotbed
a bed of earth covered with glass and heated by rotting manure to promote the growth of plants; kitchen garden, vegetable garden, vegetable patch
a small garden where vegetables are grown; landscaping
a garden laid out for esthetic effect; market garden
a garden where fruit and vegetables are grown for marketing; pot farm
a plot of ground where marijuana is grown and harvested (often hidden in a national forest); rock garden, rockery
a garden featuring rocks; usually alpine plants; roof garden
a garden on a flat roof of a building; rose garden
a garden for growing roses; seedbed
a bed where seedlings are grown before transplanting; sunken garden
a garden set below the level of the ground surrounding it; tea garden
a public garden where tea is served; topiary
a garden having shrubs clipped or trimmed into decorative shapes especially of animals; turnip bed
a bed in which turnips are growing

Type of:: parcel, parcel of land, piece of ground, piece of land, tract
an extended area of land

v provide with a patch; also used metaphorically

“The field was patched with snow”

Type of:: furnish, provide, render, supply
give something useful or necessary to

v mend by putting a patch on

“patch a hole”

Synonyms:: patch up

Type of:: bushel, doctor, fix, furbish up, mend, repair, restore, touch on
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

v repair by adding pieces

Synonyms:: piece

Type of:: bushel, doctor, fix, furbish up, mend, repair, restore, touch on
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

n a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition

“a patch of bad weather”

Synonyms:: piece, spell, while

Types:: cold snap, cold spell
a spell of cold weather; hot spell
a spell of hot weather; snap
a spell of cold weather

Type of:: time
an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities)

n a connection intended to be used for a limited time

Synonyms:: temporary hookup

Type of:: connecter, connection, connective, connector, connexion
an instrumentality that connects; contrivance, lash-up
any improvised arrangement for temporary use

v to join or unite the pieces of

“patch the skirt”

Synonyms:: piece

Types:: vamp, vamp up
piece (something old) with a new part

Type of:: conjoin, join
make contact or come together

n a short set of commands to correct a bug in a computer program

Type of:: computer program, computer programme, program, programme
(computer science) a sequence of instructions that a computer can interpret and execute

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