patchwork
English
Etymology
Noun
patchwork (countable and uncountable, plural patchworks)
- A work, such as a blanket, composed of many different colors and shapes, sewn together to make an interesting whole.
- (figurative) Any kind of creation that utilizes 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.
- (derogatory) 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.”
Related terms
Translations
a work composed of many different colors and shapes
|
any kind of creation that utilizes many different aspects to create one, whole piece
|
Verb
patchwork (third-person singular simple present patchworks, present participle patchworking, simple past and past participle patchworked)
- To create a patchwork from pieces of fabric.
- To assemble from a variety of sources; to cobble together.
References
- “patchwork”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English patchwork.
Pronunciation
Noun
patchwork m (plural patchworks)
Italian
Etymology
Borrowed from English patchwork.
Noun
patchwork m (uncountable)
- patchwork (all senses)
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from English patchwork.
Noun
patchwork m (plural patchworks)
Categories:
- English compound terms
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English derogatory terms
- English terms with quotations
- English verbs
- French terms borrowed from English
- French terms derived from English
- French 2-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French terms spelled with W
- French terms spelled with K
- French masculine nouns
- Italian terms borrowed from English
- Italian terms derived from English
- Italian lemmas
- Italian nouns
- Italian uncountable nouns
- Italian terms spelled with W
- Italian terms spelled with K
- Italian masculine nouns
- Spanish terms borrowed from English
- Spanish terms derived from English
- Spanish lemmas
- Spanish nouns
- Spanish countable nouns
- Spanish terms spelled with W
- Spanish terms spelled with K
- Spanish masculine nouns