From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_250_dpatchpatch1 /pætʃ/ ●●○ noun [countable] 1 part of an areaMARKAREA a small area of something that is different from the area around itpatch 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 holeDCC a small piece of material that is sewn on something to cover a hole in it a jacket with leather patches at the elbows3 for growing somethingDLGAREA a small area of ground for growing fruit or vegetables a strawberry patch4 computer a small computer program that is added to software to solve problems5 eyeMDPROTECT 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 decorationDCCDECORATE American English a small piece of cloth with words or pictures on it that you can sew onto clothes SYN badge British English7 → a bad/difficult/sticky/rough patch8 → somebody’s patch9 → not be a patch on somebody/somethingCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + patcha small/large etc patchSome of the hills still had small patches of snow.a white/black/red etc patchThe bird has a large black patch on each side of its neck.a damp/wet patchThere were damp patches on the ceilings.a bald patchHe stroked the bald patch on the back of his head .a dark patchShe noticed two dark patches on the sleeve of his shirt.a clear patchClear patches of brilliant blue sky appeared briefly through the white storm clouds.a bright patchPoppies and daisies provided bright patches of colour along the edge of the field. icy patches (=on a road)Some icy patches are likely on roads as temperatures drop tonight.fog patchesThere'll be a widespread frost with mist and one or two fog patches
Examples from the Corpus
patch• Patches of grease covered the kitchen walls.• I noticed a patch of dirt in the middle of the rug.• a white kitten with black patches• He tied his horse to a tree outside this bushy patch and left him grazing.• She touches the small colorful patches with her index finger, and laughs.• There's a damp patch under the window.• There were some darker patches on the carpet.• Both knees of his jeans had patches on them.• Detective McCready had taken over; he didn't want us on his patch.• The car hit an icy patch on the road and went out of control.• He told me to be more aggressive in representing my patch.• a nicotine patch• a pumpkin patch• Morris is going through one of the roughest patches of his presidency.• There was an ugly, scorched patch right in the middle of the skirt.• There are small patches with the emblems of sports cars sewn at odd, playful angles on the front.• A smaller patch of lesser quality vines extends southwards on to the north-east-facing slopes of Mont Aimé.• The rising sun slowly turns the drab greys and dull browns of the mountains to patches of pale gold and dusty pinks.• There are other people who have sun-tans that leave white patches on their arms.bald patch• It was thin and ragged, and folded forward to hide a growing bald patch.• My hair falls out at the slightest touch, sometimes leaving little bald patches.• If you crick your neck you might spot the odd bald patch, too!• Same-shaped bald patch, same fringe of white hair.• I noticed a small bald patch on the crown of his head.• More so than the bald patch at the back of his head.• But this can just mean patchy regrowth, with bald patches, not the whole leg of hair disappearing.patchpatch2 (also patch up) verb [transitive + with] DCCto repair a hole in something by putting a piece of something else over it → patch something ↔ together → patch something/somebody ↔ up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
patch• Trash collection has improved, he said, leaf pickup has resumed and more than 35,000 potholes have been patched.• Rip one seam and the coat will patch itself on the spot.• He patched through it somehow, though.• He had been wounded four times-and patched up, and sent back to war.• They built timber groynes and constructed chalk banks and patched up breaches as they occurred.• And the couple are now taking an early-break break from their civic duties to patch up their differences.• Their planking was patched with corrugated iron, their roofs shingled with flattened tin cans.Origin patch1 (1300-1400) Perhaps from Old French pieche “piece” 