Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Origin: Perhaps from Old French pieche 'piece'

patch

1 noun
     
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patch1 [countable]
1

part of an area

a small area of something that is different from the area around it
patch of
We finally found a patch of grass to sit down on.
Belinda watched a patch of sunlight move slowly across the wall.
Look out for icy patches on the road.
a cat with a white patch on its chest
He combs his hair over his bald patch.
2

over a hole

DCC a small piece of material that is sewn on something to cover a hole in it:
a jacket with leather patches at the elbows
3

for growing something

DLG a small area of ground for growing fruit or vegetables:
a strawberry patch
4TD

computer

a small computer program that is added to software to solve problems
5

eye

MD a piece of material that you wear over your eye to protect it when it has been hurt:
He had a black patch over one eye.
6

decoration

DCC American English a small piece of cloth with words or pictures on it that you can sew onto clothes [= badge British English]
7

a bad/difficult/sticky/rough patch

informal a period of time when you are having a lot of difficulty:
Gemma's going through a bad patch right now.
8

somebody's patch

British English informal an area that someone knows very well because they work or live there [= turf]:
Policemen know what's going on in their home patch.
9

not be a patch on somebody/something

British English informal to be much less attractive, good etc than something or someone else:
The second film isn't a patch on the first.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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