Patchwork
/ˈpætʃ.wɜːk/noun
Fabric or material made by sewing together pieces of different cloth.
Did you know?Patchwork is a transparent compound of patch + work, and the first word, patch, originally meant a piece of cloth used to mend something — a reminder that even everyday language can be sewn from leftovers.
Etymological Timeline
Old French
OF
pache
“a patch or piece of cloth”
Middle English
ME
pacche
“a patch or piece used for mending”
Middle English
ME
patchwerk
“work made by sewing patches together”
Early Modern English
English
patchwork
“material made of sewn-together patches”
Modern English
English
patchwork
“fabric or material made from pieces of different cloth”