The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word DEPTHS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
D
E
P
T
H
S
More clues leading to the result DEPTHS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Oddly deep patches" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case oddly deep patches = depths.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DEPTHS mean?
DEPTHS noun- The vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep
- The distance between the front and the back, as the depth of a drawer or closet
- The intensity, complexity, strength, seriousness or importance of an emotion, situation, etc.
- Lowness
- (colors) the total palette of available colors
- The property of appearing three-dimensional
- (usually in the plural) the deepest part (usually of a body of water)
- (usually in the plural) a very remote part.
- The most severe part
- The number of simple elements which an abstract conception or notion includes; the comprehension or content
- A pair of toothed wheels which work together
- The perpendicular distance from the chord to the farthest point of an arched surface
- The lower of the two ranks of a value in an ordered set of values