Patch
/pætʃ/
Definitions
4 meaningsA piece of material used to cover a hole or repair something.
/pætʃ/
A piece of material used to mend or cover a hole.
The mechanic used a patch to fix the tire.
💡 Simply: Imagine your favorite jeans have a hole in them. A 'patch' is like a little piece of fabric you use to cover up that hole and make your jeans look good again! It's like a quick fix!
👶 For kids: A little piece of stuff, like cloth, that you put on something to fix it.
More Examples
She wore a patch on her eye after the surgery.
The quilt was made of colorful patches.
How It's Used
"I need to sew a patch on my jeans."
"The software update included a security patch to fix a vulnerability."
To mend or repair something, often with a piece of material.
/pætʃ/
To mend or repair something.
He patched the leaky roof.
💡 Simply: When you 'patch' something, you're like a superhero fixing things! You might patch a hole in your jeans or even 'patch' a computer program to fix a bug. It means to fix or repair something.
👶 For kids: To fix something with a little piece of stuff.
More Examples
She tried to patch up the broken vase.
The programmers are working to patch the system.
How It's Used
"I need to patch the hole in the wall."
"The developers will patch the software next week."
A small area, typically of land or a surface, differing from the surrounding area.
/pætʃ/
A small area of land or surface.
The farmer cultivated a patch of tomatoes.
💡 Simply: Imagine you see a small area in a field that's all wildflowers! That's a 'patch'. Or if your dog leaves a muddy spot on the carpet, that's a 'patch' too. It's just a small part that looks different.
👶 For kids: A little bit of something, like a spot of flowers or a spot on your clothes.
More Examples
A patch of snow remained on the mountain.
She found a small patch of shade under the tree.
How It's Used
"A patch of wildflowers bloomed in the meadow."
"The game developers released a new map patch."
A piece of code designed to fix a problem or improve software.
/pætʃ/
A small piece of code designed to fix a problem.
The latest patch addressed several security vulnerabilities.
💡 Simply: Imagine you are playing a video game, and there is a glitch. The game designers will send you a 'patch' - it is like a tiny part of the game that fixes the glitch!
👶 For kids: A tiny bit of code that fixes a problem in a computer game or on the internet.
More Examples
A new patch was released to fix a bug in the game.
Install the patch to get the latest features.
How It's Used
"The software update included a security patch to fix a vulnerability."
"They released a new patch for the game."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
a rough patch
A difficult or challenging period in life.
"The company is going through a rough patch financially."
From Middle English *pacche*, likely from Old French *piece* (piece) or a related word, ultimately from Latin *pectia* (piece, patch).
Historically used in various contexts including medical, agricultural, and technological applications. The meaning has evolved with the advancement of technology.
Memory tip
Think of a piece of cloth you sew on a hole in your clothes.
Word Origin
"piece, fragment"