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patch1
/pach/, n.1. 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.2. a piece of material used to cover or protect a wound, an injured part, etc.: a patch over the eye.3. 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.4. any of the pieces of cloth sewed together to form patchwork.5. a small piece, scrap, or area of anything: a patch of ice on the road.6. a piece or tract of land; plot.7. a small field, plot, or garden, esp. one in which a specific type of plant grows or is cultivated: a cabbage patch; a bean patch.9. Mil. a cloth emblem worn on the upper uniform sleeve to identify the military unit of the wearer.10. a small organizational or affiliational emblem of cloth sewn to one's jacket, shirt, cap, etc.11. a connection or hookup, as between radio circuits or telephone lines: The patch allowed shut-ins to hear the game by telephone.v.t.12. to mend, cover, or strengthen with or as if with a patch or patches.13. to repair or restore, esp. in a hasty or makeshift way (usually fol. by up).14. to make by joining patches or pieces together: to patch a quilt.15. to settle or smooth over (a quarrel, difference, etc.) (often fol. by up): They patched up their quarrel before the company arrived.16. (esp. in radio and telephone communications) to connect or hook up (circuits, programs, conversations, etc.) (often fol. by through, into, etc.): The radio show was patched through to the ship. Patch me through to the mainland.v.i.17. to make a connection between radio circuits, telephone lines, etc. (often fol. by in or into): We patched into the ship-to-shore conversation.[1350-1400; ME pacche; perh. akin to OPr pedas piece to cover a hole < VL *pedaceum lit., something measured; cf. ML pedare to measure in feet; see PED-]Ant. 11. break.patch2/pach/, n.a clown, fool, or booby.[1540-50; perh. < It pazzo fool]
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Universalium. 2010.
