Definition of "patchy" [patch•y]

• Made up of or marked by patches: patchy trousers. (adjective)
• Uneven in quality or performance: Their work is patchy at best. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "I had an email from a guy about a flat written in patchy English which included the sentence "I am the Land Lord.""
• "It came in patchy (think mange on a Labrador retriever) and I got rid of it when I got back to civilization, but the mustache remained."
• "Only a month after the accident, long-term health risks are described as "patchy" and "unclear," as officials begin testing the playgrounds of schools and nurseries."