patchwork

/ˈpætʃwɜːk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpætʃwɜːrk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpach-ˌwərk/ (ame, mw)

patchwork — noun

1. cloth or sewing work made by stitching small pieces of fabric into one design, o

1.名詞C1
釋義

cloth or sewing work made by stitching small pieces of fabric into one design, often with varied colours or prints

例句

Manuela stitched a bright patchwork quilt from her grandmother's old dresses.

collocation: patchwork quilt

Ilan learned patchwork at the community center on Saturday mornings.

pattern: do/learn patchwork as a craft

同義詞
  • quilt

    usually the finished blanket or cover; it may include patchwork, but not every quilt does

  • quilting

    the broader sewing technique of stitching layers together, not only joining fabric pieces into patterns

文法句型

do patchwork

patchwork + noun

用法筆記

Can name either the finished cloth item or the sewing craft itself. In the activity meaning, it is usually uncountable, as in 'do patchwork'.

常見錯誤

❌My aunt does patchworks every winter.
✅My aunt does patchwork every winter.
💡when you mean the craft, patchwork is usually uncountable.

2. something formed from unlike pieces, ideas, or systems joined into one whole, of

2.名詞C1
釋義

something formed from unlike pieces, ideas, or systems joined into one whole, often with an uneven result

例句

The committee produced a patchwork of rules that confused new volunteers.

pattern: a patchwork of + plural noun

After years of repairs, the road network was a patchwork of surfaces.

同義詞
  • hodgepodge

    more informal and suggests greater disorder

  • mosaic

    more neutral and often used for a deliberate or visually patterned combination

  • collage

    often used for artistic or deliberately assembled combinations

文法句型

a patchwork of + plural noun

patchwork of + ideas/systems

用法筆記

Most often follows 'a patchwork of ...' and usually describes laws, systems, roads, or stories made from mismatched parts. Distinguish from sense 1 by the abstract or non-fabric context.

常見錯誤

❌The fruit bowl was a patchwork of apples and oranges.
✅The fruit bowl was a mixture of apples and oranges.
💡patchwork usually suggests parts joined into a larger arrangement, not an ordinary mix.