1
: a piece of material used to mend or cover a hole or a weak spot
2
: a tiny piece of black silk or court plaster worn on the face or neck especially by women to hide a blemish or to heighten beauty
3
a
: a piece of material (such as adhesive plaster) used medically usually to cover a wound
b
: a usually disk-shaped piece of material that is worn on the skin and contains a substance (such as a drug) that is absorbed at a constant rate through the skin into the bloodstream
a nicotine patch
c
: a shield worn over the socket of an injured or missing eye
4
5
: someone or something equal or comparable
—usually used in negative constructions
the new chairman isn't a patch on his predecessor
6
: a piece of cloth sewed on a garment as an ornament or insignia
especially
: shoulder patch
7
: a temporary connection in a communication system (such as a telephone hookup)
8
: a minor correction or modification in a computer program
patched; patching; patches
1
: to mend, cover, or fill up a hole or weak spot in
2
: to provide with a patch
3
a
: to make of patches or fragments
b
: to mend or put together especially in hasty or shabby fashion
—usually used with up
c
: to apply a patch to (a computer program)
4
a
: to connect (things, such as circuits) by a patch cord
b
: to connect (a person, a message, etc.) to a communication system especially temporarily
they patched him into the conference call
Synonyms
Examples of patch in a Sentence
Noun (1)
a black cat with a small patch of white next to her nose
a patch of land hardly big enough for a garden
Verb
The fence needs to be patched.
They patched him into the conference call.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noor Lobad, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024
His effect was such that patches bearing his initials will be worn by student-athletes among USF’s 21 men’s and women’s teams.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
Partway through Gretzky’s rookie year, the Oilers brought in a young center named Don Ashby to patch a hole left by an injured player.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patch 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
While most of the top brands don’t demonstrate a correlation between views growth and TikTok Shop momentum, anti-wrinkle silicone patch brand Wrinkles Schminkles is a key exception.
—Noor Lobad, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024
His effect was such that patches bearing his initials will be worn by student-athletes among USF’s 21 men’s and women’s teams.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
Keep software updated: Regularly update your operating system, browsers and other software to patch security vulnerabilities.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
Partway through Gretzky’s rookie year, the Oilers brought in a young center named Don Ashby to patch a hole left by an injured player.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patch
Articles Related to patch
Dictionary Entries Near patch
Cite this Entry
“Patch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patch. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patch
1 of 2 noun1
: a piece of material used to mend or cover a hole, a torn place, or a weak spot
2
: a shield (as of cloth) worn over an injured eye
3
: a small piece : scrap
4
a
: a small area or plot different from its surroundings
a patch of oats
a patch of blistered skin
b
: a spot of color : blotch
5
: a piece of cloth worn (as on the shoulder of a uniform) as an ornament or insignia
patch
2 of 2 verb1
: to mend, cover, or fill up a hole or weak spot in
2
: to provide with a patch
3
a
: to make out of patches
b
: to mend or put together especially hastily or clumsily
c
: to deal with successfully : settle
—usually used with up
patched up their differences
Medical Definition
patch
noun1
a
: a piece of material used medically usually to cover a wound or repair a defect see patch graft
b
: a usually disk-shaped piece of material that is worn on the skin and contains a substance (as a drug) that is absorbed at a constant rate through the skin and into the bloodstream
a nicotine patch
called also skin patch
c
: a shield worn over the socket of an injured or missing eye
2
: a circumscribed region of tissue (as on the skin or in a section from an organ) that differs from the normal color or composition
sometimes great white patches develop on the tongue, the cheeks, and the gums—Morris Fishbein
Morris Fishbein
patch
transitive verb
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