patch
part of speech
noun (a patch, patches); verb (patch, patches, patched, patching — patch up)
meaning for a pupil
1) A patch is a small piece of material sewn or stuck over a hole or a worn place, like on the knee of jeans. tree →
2) A patch is a small area that looks different from what is around it, like a wet patch or a patch of ice. tree →
3) A patch is a small piece of land for growing things, like a vegetable patch. tree →
4) An eye patch is a cover worn over one eye. tree →
5) A patch is a sticky piece put on the skin that slowly gives medicine. tree →
6) To patch means to mend with a patch, or to make a quick repair. tree →
7) To patch things up means to make friends again after an argument. tree →
sense in the lessons
Everyday and safety: watch out for patches of ice on paths in winter; tyres get patched when punctured; badges are sewn on as patches (like Scout and Guide badges). In science and nature: animals with patches of colour, sunny and shady patches. In feelings: «a rough patch» is a hard time; friends «patch things up». On computers, a «patch» is a small update that fixes problems. Phrases: «a patch of», «vegetable patch», «pumpkin patch», «patch up», «a rough patch», «not a patch on» (nowhere near as good as).
examples
- Mum sewed a patch on the knee of my trousers. tree →
- Be careful of the icy patch on the path. tree →
- We grow carrots in our vegetable patch. tree →
- The pirate wore an eye patch. tree →
- We went to the pumpkin patch to choose a pumpkin. tree →
- The dog has a white patch over one eye. tree →
- Dad patched the hole in my bike tyre. tree →
- After the argument they patched things up. tree →
- The computer needs a security patch. tree →
- ‘Here are some shoes for you to patch.’ tree →
note
Plural and verb with he/she/it: «patches». Past: «patched». «Not a patch on» (UK) means much worse than. A «patchy» thing is uneven, with bits here and there (patchy fog).
In the corpora
- A rough patch is a hard time in a relationship, with more arguing or unhappiness, and many couples come through it.
- The glasswing butterfly has clear patches on its wings with few scales, which makes it hard to see against leaves and flowers.
- In summer the tundra has huge swarms of mosquitoes, so thick that caribou run to windy hills or snow patches to escape them.
- The white patches of a variegated leaf have no chlorophyll and make no food, so such plants often grow more slowly.
- "Going through a rough patch" can mean being depressed or in a mental health crisis, or simply having a hard time.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «patch» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.