https://www.etymonline.com/word/patch https://www.etymonline.com/word/patch > "piece of cloth used to mend another material," late 14th century. > Electronics

https://www.etymonline.com/word/patch https://www.etymonline.com/word/patch > "piece of cloth used to mend another material," late 14th century. > Electronics sense of "to connect temporarily" is attested from 1923 on the notion of tying together various pieces of apparatus to form a circuit.