Sterne.
||Pa*ta"ca (?), n. [Sp.] The Spanish dollar; -- called also patacoon.
||[Obs.]
||Pa`tache" (?), n. [F. & Sp. patache, P. patacho.] (Naut.) A tender to
||a fleet, formerly used for conveying men, orders, or treasure. [Spain
||& Portugal]
Pa`ta*coon" (?), n. [Sp.] See Pataca.
||Pa*ta"gi*um (?), n.; pl. Patagia (#). [L., an edge or border.] 1.
||(Anat.) In bats, an expansion of the integument uniting the fore limb
||with the body and extending between the elongated fingers to form the
||wing; in birds, the similar fold of integument uniting the fore limb
||with the body.
2. (Zoˆl.) One of a pair of small vesicular organs situated at the
bases of the anterior wings of lepidopterous insects. See Illust. of
Butterfly.
Pat`a*go"ni*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to Patagonia. -- n. A native of
Patagonia.
Pat"a*mar (?), n. [From the native name.] (Naut.) A vessel resembling a
grab, used in the coasting trade of Bombay and Ceylon. [Written also
pattemar.]
Pa*tas" (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A West African long-tailed monkey
(Cercopithecus ruber); the red monkey.
Pat`a*vin"i*ty (?), n. [L. patavinitas, fr. Patavium: cf. F.
patavinitÈ] The use of local or provincial words, as in the peculiar
style or diction of Livy, the Roman historian; -- so called from
Patavium, now Padua, the place of Livy's nativity.
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.
Shak.
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.
Beau. & Fl.
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.
Bunyan.
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 ice, ice in overlapping pieces in the sea. -- Soft patch, a patch
for covering a crack in a metallic vessel, as a steam boiler,
consisting of soft material, as putty, covered and held in place by a
plate bolted or riveted fast.
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.