Pronunciation change

Noun change

Singular
patch

Plural
patches

  1. (countable) A patch is a small area that is a different colour or material from the area around it.
    He'd come every other Sunday afternoon to mow the little patch of grass in front of the house.
    He had red patches of skin in different places on his body.
    We could see blue patches of sky between the trees.
    Joe's father looked to the dark patch under the tree where Joe stood concealed.
    Our small patch of forest was different.
  2. (countable) A patch is a piece of material that is sewn on clothes to cover a hole or for decoration.
    She was wearing a jacket with patches on the elbows.
  3. (technical); (countable) A patch is a computer program that fixes another program.
  4. (countable) A patch is a length of time.
    Her business has hit a rough patch lately.
  5. (countable) An eye patch is something to cover an eye.

Synonyms change

Verb change

Plain form
patch

Third-person singular
patches

Past tense
patched

Past participle
patched

Present participle
patching

  1. (transitive) If you patch clothing, a tire, etc., you put a piece of material on it to cover a hole.
  2. (transitive & intransitive) If you patch a number of things together, you put them together, but not very well.
    She was patching together part-time jobs and trying to pay the rent.
    The current computer system was patched together over a number of years.
  3. (transitive & intransitive) If you patch something up, you fix it.
    She patched a hole in the wall where it looked like John's head had hit it.
    I was hoping the problem would be patched up before I got there.

Synonyms change

Related change