noun
patchwork
noun
1
Fabric made by sewing together many small pieces of different colours or shapes.
"Her grandmother made a beautiful patchwork quilt."
2
Something made up of many different, often unrelated, parts.
"The country's laws are a patchwork of overlapping regulations."
verb
1
To assemble something from various different pieces or sources.
"They patchworked together a funding plan from several grants."
How to Use Patchwork
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething stitched or pieced together from many different bits, literally in fabric or figuratively in ideas, laws, or plans.
Common pairings
patchwork quilt
patchwork of laws
Word Forms
patchworked past tense, patchworks plural, patchworks singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “patchwork”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Her grandmother made a beautiful _____ quilt.
Etymology
From "patch" plus "work" — literally, work made of patches.