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botch

verb

  1. to make a mess of
L21659 on Wikidata ↗

noun

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L317260 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /bɒt͡ʃ/ / /bɑt͡ʃ/

noun

Etymology: From Middle English botche, from Anglo-Norman boche, from Late Latin bocia (“boss”).

  1. A tumour or other malignant swelling.

    Botches and blaines muſt all his fleſh imboſs,

  2. A case or outbreak of boils or sores.

    The Lord wil smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scabbe, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not bee healed.

verb

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

  1. To perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner; to make a mess of something.

    A botched haircut seems to take forever to grow out.

    And other diuels that ſuggest by treaſons, / Do botch and bungle vp damnation, / VVith patches, colours, and vvith formes being fetcht / From gliſt'ring ſemblances of piety: […]

  2. To do (something) without care or skill, or clumsily.
  3. To mend or repair (something) clumsily.