botch1

[boch] /bɒtʃ/
verb (used with object)
1.
to spoil by poor work; bungle (often followed by up):
He botched up the job thoroughly.
2.
to do or say in a bungling manner.
3.
to mend or patch in a clumsy manner.
noun
4.
a clumsy or poor piece of work; mess; bungle:
He made a complete botch of his first attempt at baking.
5.
a clumsily added part or patch.
6.
a disorderly or confused combination; conglomeration.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English bocchen to patch up; perhaps to be identified with bocchen to swell up, bulge (verbal derivative of bocche botch2), though sense development unclear
Related forms
botchedly
[boch-id-lee] /ˈbɒtʃ ɪd li/ (Show IPA), adverb
botcher, noun
botchery, noun
Synonyms
1. ruin, mismanage; muff, butcher, flub.

botch2

[boch] /bɒtʃ/
noun
1.
a swelling on the skin; a boil.
2.
an eruptive disease.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English bocche < Old French boche, dialectal variant of boce boss2
Examples from the web for botch
  • Vance and the spectacular botch that his office has made of this case.
  • botch a few of those decisions and you will come to know the true meaning of misery.
  • Governments that botched it were equally likely to botch the management of state-owned firms.
  • It begins when two inept robbers botch a heist at a tobacco store.
  • But the chairman even managed to botch the final sell.
  • Users often botch the backups, or overwrite important tapes, he explains.
  • With overwhelming proof that even the pros can botch a start, beer-can racers everywhere rejoiced.
  • It is another botch in his life, soon to be followed by his transparent considerations of suicide.
  • You'd be surprised at how many people botch this question.
  • If you are being recorded or taped and botch an answer, simply begin the answer again.
British Dictionary definitions for botch

botch

/bɒtʃ/
verb (transitive) often foll by up
1.
to spoil through clumsiness or ineptitude
2.
to repair badly or clumsily
noun
3.
Also called botch-up. a badly done piece of work or repair (esp in the phrase make a botch of (something))
Derived Forms
botcher, noun
Word Origin
C14: of unknown origin
Word Origin and History for botch
v.

late 14c., bocchen "to repair," later, "to spoil by unskillful work" (1520s); of unknown origin. Related: Botched; botching. As a noun from c.1600.

botch in the Bible

the name given in Deut. 28:27, 35 to one of the Egyptian plagues (Ex. 9:9). The word so translated is usually rendered "boil" (q.v.).