patch

/pætʃ/
noun
  1. A small piece of material used to cover a hole or tear in clothing or other fabric.
    • I bought an iron-on patch to fix my backpack.
    • She sewed a blue patch over the hole in her jeans.
    • The old jacket had leather patches on the elbows.
  2. A small area that is different from the area around it.
    • We found a patch of wild strawberries in the forest.
    • The cat has a white patch on its chest.
    • There was a patch of ice on the sidewalk this morning.
  3. A piece of software code designed to fix a bug or improve a program.
    • The developer released a patch to address the crashing issue.
    • You should install the patch to improve the game's performance.
    • The latest security patch fixed several vulnerabilities.
  4. A small piece of material worn on the skin to deliver medicine gradually.
    • She wears a pain relief patch on her shoulder.
    • The motion sickness patch goes behind your ear.
    • My doctor prescribed a nicotine patch to help me quit smoking.
  5. A small piece of fabric or badge sewn onto a uniform or clothing as a decoration or insignia.
    • The soldier wore a flag patch on his sleeve.
    • She collected embroidered patches from every country she visited.
    • His scout uniform was covered with merit badges and patches.
Synonyms
verb
  1. To repair or mend something by covering a hole or tear with a piece of material.
    • He patched his old jeans with a piece of denim.
    • I need to patch the hole in the roof before it rains.
    • We patched the tire with a repair kit.
  2. To fix or improve a computer program by installing a patch.
    • They patched the game to add new features.
    • You should patch your system regularly to stay protected.
    • The company patched the software to fix the security flaw.
  3. To connect or link things together, especially in a temporary or improvised way.
    • We patched the call through to the manager's office.
    • The technician patched the two cables together.
    • They patched the network so all computers could share files.
Antonyms
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