botch

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English bocchen (“to mend”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English bōtettan (“to improve; cure; remedy; repair”), or from Middle Dutch botsen, butsen, boetsen (“to repair; patch”), related to beat.

Verb

botch (third-person singular simple present botches, present participle botching, simple past and past participle botched)

  1. (transitive) To perform (a task) in an unacceptable or incompetent manner; to make a mess of something
    A botched haircut seems to take forever to grow out.
    Synonyms: ruin, bungle, spoil, destroy
  2. To do something without skill, without care, or clumsily.
  3. To repair or mend clumsily.

Synonyms
Translations
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Translations to be checked

Noun

botch (plural botches)

  1. An action, job, or task that has been performed very badly; a ruined, defective, or clumsy piece of work.
  2. A patch put on, or a part of a garment patched or mended in a clumsy manner.
  3. A mistake that is very stupid or embarrassing.
  4. A messy, disorderly or confusing combination; conglomeration; hodgepodge.
  5. (archaic) One who makes a mess of something; a bungler.
    • 1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard
      'If it was the last word I ever spoke, Puddock, you're a good-natured—he's a gentleman, Sir—and it was all my own fault; he warned me, he did, again' swallyin' a dhrop of it—remember what I'm saying, doctor—'twas I that done it; I was always a botch, Puddock, an' a fool; and—and—gentlemen—good-bye.'
Translations

See also

Etymology 2

From Anglo-Norman boche, from Late Latin bocia (“boss”).

Noun

botch (plural botches)

  1. (obsolete) A tumour or other malignant swelling.
    • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
      Botches and blains must all his flesh emboss.
  2. A case or outbreak of boils or sores.
    • 1395, John Wycliffe, Bible, Job II:
      Therfor Sathan ȝede out fro the face of the Lord, and smoot Joob with a ful wickid botche fro the sole of the foot til to his top [...].
    • 1611, Bible (Authorized Version), Deuteronomy XXVIII:
      The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
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