patch
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.
Noun 4 meanings
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.
“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.
“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.
“Before you can fix a dam, you have to apply a patch to the hole so that everything can dry off.”
A small, usually contrasting but always somehow different or distinct, part of something else (location, time, size)
“The world economy had a rough patch in the 1930s.”
Verb 4 meanings
To mend by sewing on a piece or pieces of cloth, leather, or the like.
“My coat needs patching.”
To mend with pieces; to repair by fastening pieces on.
To make out of pieces or patches, like a quilt.
“I patched together this quilt.”
To join or unite the pieces of; to patch the skirt.
Etymology
From Middle English patche, of uncertain origin. Perhaps an alteration of earlier Middle English placche (“patch, spot, piece of cloth”), from Old English *plæċċ, *pleċċ (“a spot, mark, patch”), from Proto-West Germanic *plakkju, from Proto-Germanic *plakjō (“spot, stain”).
Similar and opposite words
PATCH at a glance
PATCH has 5 letters and scores 12 points in Scrabble (P 3 + A 1 + T 1 + C 3 + H 4) and 13 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #5,059 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with patch
All rhymesOne letter away
Keep going
Related lists
Looking for a different word?
Type the letters you have and the Finder shows every word that fits.