What is a patch on a computer? A patch is a small piece of code developed to fix specific bugs, security vulnerabilities, or functional issues in software or operating systems. Unlike major updates or upgrades that make changes to large parts of a system, patches are more surgical. The patch command in Linux is an powerful utility which changes files while developing software to update a program and fix bugs. Learn the meaning of patch as a noun and a verb in English, with synonyms, idioms, and usage examples. Find out how to use patch in different contexts, such as area, material, computer, or ice. PATCH (1) General Commands Manual PATCH (1) NAME top patch - apply a diff file to an original SYNOPSIS top patch [options] [originalfile [patchfile]] but usually just patch -pnum
