Etymology

From patch +‎ workCategory:English compound terms#PATCHWORK.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#PATCHWORK

Noun

patchwork (countable and uncountable, plural patchworks)Category:English lemmas#PATCHWORKCategory:English nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:English uncountable nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:English countable nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:English countable nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with entries#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with 4 entries#PATCHWORK

1. A work, such as a blanket, composed of many different colors and shapes, sewn together to make an interesting whole.
2. (figurative) Any kind of creation that makes use of many different aspects to create one whole piece.

   Bill took all of his poetry and put it together in a folder. It made up a patchwork of his life.Category:English terms with usage examples#PATCHWORK

   • 2022 November 17, Paul Salopek, “A ‘Slow Storytelling’ Writing and Photography Workshop Boosts Conservation in China”, in National Geographic‎:

     Everything about China is super-sized: The five new parks, which in some cases stitched together an older patchwork of conservation zones, sprawl across more than 88,800 square miles of territory—a protected area more than 25 times the size of Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PATCHWORK

   • 2025 October 1, Richard Wilcock, “There is more to be proud of in the railway than we sometimes allow ourselves to see”, in RAIL, number 1045, page 40:

     The wider North West and Central Region is itself a microcosm of the industry's complexity. Covering the approaches to London Euston, stretching through Birmingham and the West Midlands, and reaching Manchester, Liverpool and beyond, it is a patchwork of overlapping markets, political geographies, and infrastructure types.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PATCHWORK

3. (derogatoryCategory:English derogatory terms#PATCHWORK) A state of regulations whose constituents have an opaque scope of application because of their questionable delimitation with regard to each other.
   • 2011, Bryce Clayton Newell, “Rethinking Reasonable Expectations of Privacy in Online Social Networks”, in Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, volume 17, number 4, page 5:

     Present United States privacy law – despite being made up of a patchwork federal and state constitutional, statutory, and common law – is predominantly based on the ideals of individual control, autonomy, and liberty from governmental intrusion, despite the fact that its inspiration was an idea grounded on the importance of protecting human dignity and an “inviolate personality.”

     Category:English terms with quotations#PATCHWORK

   • 2025 July 1, Matt Brown and Matt O'Brien, “Senate strikes AI regulatory ban from GOP bill after uproar from the states”, in AP News‎:

     Proponents of an AI moratorium had argued that a patchwork of state and local AI laws is hindering progress in the AI industry and the ability of U.S. firms to compete with China.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PATCHWORK

Verb

patchwork (third-person singular simple present patchworks, present participle patchworking, simple past and past participle patchworked)Category:English lemmas#PATCHWORKCategory:English verbs#PATCHWORKCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with entries#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with 4 entries#PATCHWORK

1. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#PATCHWORK) To create a patchwork from pieces of fabric.
2. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#PATCHWORK) To assemble from a variety of sources; to cobble together.

References

• “patchwork”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Etymology

Borrowed from EnglishCategory:French terms borrowed from English#PATCHWORKCategory:French terms derived from English#PATCHWORK patchwork.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pat.ʃwɔʁk/, /pat.ʃwœʁk/Category:French 2-syllable words#PATCHWORKCategory:French 2-syllable words#PATCHWORKCategory:French terms with IPA pronunciation#PATCHWORK
• (Canada, Missouri, New England, Louisiana) IPA^(key): /patʃwɚk/Category:French 2-syllable words#PATCHWORKCategory:French terms with IPA pronunciation#PATCHWORK

Noun

patchwork m (plural patchworks)Category:French lemmas#PATCHWORKCategory:French nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:French countable nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:French terms spelled with W#PATCHWORKCategory:French terms spelled with K#PATCHWORKCategory:French entries with incorrect language header#PATCHWORKCategory:French masculine nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with entries#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with 4 entries#PATCHWORK

1. patchwork

Further reading

• “patchwork”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Italian terms borrowed from English#PATCHWORKCategory:Italian unadapted borrowings from English#PATCHWORKCategory:Italian terms derived from English#PATCHWORK patchwork.

Noun

patchwork m (invariable)Category:Italian lemmas#PATCHWORKCategory:Italian nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:Italian countable nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:Italian indeclinable nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:Italian terms spelled with W#PATCHWORKCategory:Italian terms spelled with K#PATCHWORKCategory:Italian entries with incorrect language header#PATCHWORKCategory:Italian masculine nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with entries#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with 4 entries#PATCHWORK

1. patchwork (all senses)

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Spanish terms borrowed from English#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish unadapted borrowings from English#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish terms derived from English#PATCHWORK patchwork.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpat͡ʃwoɾk/ [ˈpa.t͡ʃwoɾk]Category:Spanish 2-syllable words#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#PATCHWORK
  • Rhymes: -atʃwoɾkCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/atʃwoɾk#PATCHWORKCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/atʃwoɾk/2 syllables#PATCHWORK
• IPA^(key): /ˈpat͡ʃuɚk/ [ˈpa.t͡ʃuɚk]Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#PATCHWORK
  • Rhymes: -atʃuɚkCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/atʃuɚk#PATCHWORKCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/atʃuɚk/2 syllables#PATCHWORK
• IPA^(key): /ˈbæt͡ʃuɚk/ [ˈbæt͡ʃuɚk]Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#PATCHWORK
  • Rhymes: -uɚkCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/uɚk#PATCHWORKCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/uɚk/1 syllable#PATCHWORK

Noun

patchwork m (plural patchworks)Category:Spanish lemmas#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish countable nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish terms spelled with W#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish terms spelled with K#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#PATCHWORKCategory:Spanish masculine nouns#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with entries#PATCHWORKCategory:Pages with 4 entries#PATCHWORK

1. patchwork