Patch (?), n. [OE. pacche; of uncertain origin, perh. for placche; cf. Prov. E. platch patch, LG. plakk, plakke.] 1. A piece of cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, esp. upon an old garment to cover a hole.

Patches set upon a little breach.

2. Hence: A small piece of anything used to repair a breach; as, a patch on a kettle, a roof, etc.

3. A small piece of black silk stuck on the face, or neck, to hide a defect, or to heighten beauty.

Your black patches you wear variously.

4. (Gun.) A piece of greased cloth or leather used as wrapping for a rifle ball, to make it fit the bore.

5. Fig.: Anything regarded as a patch; a small piece of ground; a tract; a plot; as, scattered patches of trees or growing corn.

Employed about this patch of ground.

6. (Mil.) A block on the muzzle of a gun, to do away with the effect of dispart, in sighting.

7. A paltry fellow; a rogue; a ninny; a fool. [Obs. or Colloq.] "Thou scurvy patch." Shak.

Patch (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Patched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Patching.] 1. To mend by sewing on a piece or pieces of cloth, leather, or the like; as, to patch a coat.

2. To mend with pieces; to repair with pieces festened on; to repair clumsily; as, to patch the roof of a house.

3. To adorn, as the face, with a patch or patches.

Ladies who patched both sides of their faces.

4. To make of pieces or patches; to repair as with patches; to arrange in a hasty or clumsy manner; -- generally with up; as, to patch up a truce. "If you'll patch a quarrel." Shak.

• A piece of cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, esp. upon an old garment to cover a hole.
  
• A small piece of anything used to repair a breach; as, a patch on a kettle, a roof, etc.
  
• A small piece of black silk stuck on the face, or neck, to hide a defect, or to heighten beauty.
  
• A piece of greased cloth or leather used as wrapping for a rifle ball, to make it fit the bore.
  
• A small area, a small piece of ground; a tract; a plot; as, scattered patches of trees or growing corn.
  
• A short period of time, especially one which causes trouble.
  
• (figuratively) a fit.
  
• A block on the muzzle of a gun, to do away with the effect of dispart, in sighting.
  
• (archaic) A paltry fellow; a rogue; a ninny; a fool.
  
• (computing) A file describing fixes to be made to a computer program's code, often used to fix a computer bug or introduce new features. It can be distributed as either a source code diff file or a binary code diff file.
  
• an adhesive piece of material, impregnated with a drug, which is worn on the skin; the drug being slowly absorbed over a period of time
  
• To mend by sewing on a piece or pieces of cloth, leather, or the like; as, to patch a coat.
  
• To mend with pieces; to repair with pieces fastened on
  
• To repair clumsily; as, to patch the roof of a house.
  
• To adorn, as the face, with a patch or patches.
  
• To make of pieces or patches like a quilt.
  
• To repair as with patches
  
• To arrange in a hasty or clumsy manner; – generally with up; as, to patch up a truce.
  
• (computing) To update the source code of a computer program with a patch.