Definition

Noun: 1. The act of mending a hole or tear by attaching a piece of material over it: This refers specifically to the repair process of covering a damaged area, often on fabric, with a patch. 2. (In computing) The act of applying a small piece of software designed to update or fix a program: This is a specialized, modern usage where "patching" means applying a corrective update to software code.

Usage Examples

• General Use:

  • The careful patching of the old jeans made them wearable again.
  • She was skilled at the patching of sails, an essential task for sailors.

• Computing Use:

  • The system administrator scheduled the patching of the servers for midnight.
  • Regular patching is crucial for maintaining cybersecurity.

Advanced Usage

• "Zero-day patching": The urgent act of applying a software fix for a vulnerability that is already being exploited by attackers.
  • The IT team worked through the night on zero-day patching after the threat was discovered.

Variants and Related Words

• Patch (noun/verb): The piece of material used for mending or the act of applying it. Also used for a software update.
• Patchwork (noun): A type of needlework that involves sewing together small pieces of fabric, conceptually related to the act of joining pieces.

Synonyms

• Mending: The general act of repairing.
• Repairing: Fixing something that is broken or damaged.
• Fixing: Making something whole or functional again.

Related Phrases

• Patching up: (Phrasal verb) To repair something, often quickly or temporarily; can also refer to reconciling a relationship.
  • He spent the afternoon patching up the holes in the boat's hull.
  • They are trying to patch up their friendship after the argument.

Related Idioms

• "To be not a patch on (someone/something)": To be much inferior to. (This idiom uses "patch" as a noun meaning a small piece, implying the comparison is to a mere fragment of the original's quality).
  • This new sequel is not a patch on the original film.

Noun

1. the act of mending a hole in a garment by sewing a patch over it