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Definition of patch up - 6 dictionary results

patch

1[pach]
–noun
1. a small piece of material used to mend a tear or break, to cover a hole, or to strengthen a weak place: patches at the elbows of a sports jacket.
2. a piece of material used to cover or protect a wound, an injured part, etc.: a patch over the eye.
3. an adhesive patch that applies to the skin and gradually delivers drugs or medication to the user: using a nicotine patch to try to quit smoking.
4. any of the pieces of cloth sewed together to form patchwork.
5. a small piece, scrap, or area of anything: a patch of ice on the road.
6. a piece or tract of land; plot.
7. a small field, plot, or garden, esp. one in which a specific type of plant grows or is cultivated: a cabbage patch; a bean patch.
8. beauty spot (def. 1).
9. Military. a cloth emblem worn on the upper uniform sleeve to identify the military unit of the wearer.
10. a small organizational or affiliational emblem of cloth sewn to one's jacket, shirt, cap, etc.
11. a connection or hookup, as between radio circuits or telephone lines: The patch allowed shut-ins to hear the game by telephone.
–verb (used with object)
12. to mend, cover, or strengthen with or as if with a patch or patches.
13. to repair or restore, esp. in a hasty or makeshift way (usually fol. by up).
14. to make by joining patches or pieces together: to patch a quilt.
15. to settle or smooth over (a quarrel, difference, etc.) (often fol. by up): They patched up their quarrel before the company arrived.
16. (esp. in radio and telephone communications) to connect or hook up (circuits, programs, conversations, etc.) (often fol. by through, into, etc.): The radio show was patched through to the ship. Patch me through to the mainland.
–verb (used without object)
17. to make a connection between radio circuits, telephone lines, etc. (often fol. by in or into): We patched into the ship-to-shore conversation.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME pacche; perh. akin to OPr pedas piece to cover a hole < VL *pedaceum lit., something measured; cf. ML pedāre to measure in feet; see ped-


patch⋅a⋅ble, adjective
patcher, noun
patchless, adjective


11. See mend. 12. fix.


11. break.

patch-up

[pach-uhp]
–noun
1. an act or instance of patching or repair.
–adjective
2. done by patching or fixing: a quick patch-up job.

Origin:
1900–05; n., adj. use of v. phrase patch up
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

patch  (1)
"piece of cloth used to mend another material," 1382, of obscure origin, perhaps a variant of pece, pieche, from O.N.Fr. pieche (see piece), or from an unrecorded O.E. word. The verb is 1447, from the noun; electronics sense of "to connect temporarily" is attested from 1923. Patchwork is from 1692. Phrase not a patch on "nowhere near as good as" is from 1860.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: patch
Pronunciation: 'pach
Function: noun
1 a : a piece of material (as an adhesive plaster) used medically usually to cover a wound,repair a defect, or supply medication through the skin —see PATCH GRAFT, SKIN PATCH b : a shield worn over the socket of an injured or missing eye
2 : acircumscribed region of tissue (as on the skin or in a section from an organ) that differs from the normal color or composition patches develop on the tongue,the cheeks, and the gums —Morris Fishbein> —patch transitive verbpatchy /-E/ adjective patch·i·er;-est
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

patch (pāch)
n.

  1. A small circumscribed area differing from the surrounding surface.

  2. A dressing or covering applied to protect a wound or sore.

  3. A transdermal patch.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Idioms & Phrases

patch up

Mend or repair, make whole. For example, He managed to patch up the lawn mower so it's running, or John cut his hand badly, but they patched him up in the emergency room, or Mike and Molly have patched up their differences. This term alludes to mending something by putting patches of material on it. [Second half of 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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