patch

noun

• 1a piece of cloth or other material used to mend or strengthen a torn or weak point.
• a pad or shield worn over a sightless or injured eye or an eye socket.
• a piece of cloth sewn onto clothing as a badge or distinguishing mark.
• Computing a small piece of code inserted into a program to improve its functioning or to correct an error.
• an adhesive piece of drug-impregnated material worn on the skin so that the drug can be absorbed gradually over a period of time.
• a part of something marked out from the rest by a particular characteristic:his hair was combed forward to hide a growing bald patch
• a small area or amount of something:patches of bluebells in the grass
• historical a small disk of black silk attached to the face, especially as worn by women in the 17th and 18th centuries for adornment.

• 2a small piece of ground, especially one used for gardening:they spent Sundays digging their vegetable patch
• British informal an area for which someone is responsible or in which they operate:we didn’t want any secret organizations on our patch

• 3 informal a period of time seen as a distinct unit with a characteristic quality:he may have been going through a bad patch

• 4a temporary electrical or telephone connection.
• a preset configuration or sound-data file in an electronic musical instrument, especially a synthesizer.

verb

• 1mend or strengthen (fabric or an item of clothing) by putting a piece of material over a hole or weak point in it:her jeans were neatly patched
• Medicine place a patch over (a good eye) in order to encourage a lazy eye to work.
• Computing correct, enhance, or modify (a routine or program) by inserting a patch.
• (usually be patched) cover small areas of (a surface) with something different, causing it to appear variegated:the grass was patched with sandy stretches
• (patch someone/something up) informal treat someone’s injuries or repair the damage to something, especially hastily:they did their best to patch up the gaping wounds
• (patch something together) construct something hastily from unsuitable components:lean-tos patched together from aluminum siding and planks figurativethey were trying to patch together an arrangement for cooperation
• (patch something up) informal restore peaceful or friendly relations after a quarrel or dispute:any ill feeling could be patched up with a phone call they sent him home to patch things up with his wife

• 2connect by a temporary electrical, radio, or telephonic connection:Ralph had patched her through to the meeting by walkie-talkie