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notch

[noch]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR notch ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an angular or V-shaped cut, indentation, or slit in an object, surface, or edge.

a cut or nick made in a stick or other object for record, as in keeping a tally.

New England and Upstate New York. a deep, narrow opening or pass between mountains; gap; defile.

Informal. a step, degree, or grade: This camera is a notch better than the other.

Metallurgy. a taphole in a blast furnace: iron notch; cinder notch.

verb (used with object)

to cut or make a notch in.

to record by notches: He notched each kill on the stick.

to score, as in a game: He notched another win.

Idioms

notch up/down, to move up or down or increase or decrease by notches or degrees: The temperature has notched up another degree.

Origin of notch

1570–80; a notch (by false division) for an *otch < Old French oche notch

Related formsnotch·y, adjectiveun·notched, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for notch

rung, gash, cut, indent, incision, scratch, indenture, gap, nick, score, cleft, mill, mark, groove, rut, nock, rabbet, grade, step, degree

Examples from the Web for notch

Contemporary Examples of notch

Now they are a notch on a belt, and the savior can feel good about themselves.
To Catch a Sex Worker: A&E’s Awful, Exploitative Ambush Show
Samantha Allen
December 19, 2014
Can you imagine Superman being handed over to a writer just a notch above amateur?
Wonder Woman Takes a Big Step Back
Hugh Ryan
December 16, 2014
But while they have been taken down a notch, giants like Goldman Sachs still tower over their regulators.
The Incredible 'Wussiness' Of The Fed Vs Goldman Sachs—Caught On Tape
Daniel Gross
September 26, 2014
Did you feel Archer needed to, in the words of Emeril, kick it up a notch?
'Archer Creator Adam Reed on 'Vice,' Season 6's 'Unreboot,' and New Characters
Marlow Stern
August 5, 2014
Despite committing 13 penalties, the Iroquois roared back from a late 8-3 deficit to notch it at 8-8 before giving up a late goal.
A Millennium After Inventing the Game, the Iroquois Are Lacrosse’s New Superpower
Evin Demirel
July 21, 2014

Historical Examples of notch

Notch and ornament it handsomely with leaves and flowers of paste.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
Cover the pie with a crust, notch and ornament it, and bake it well.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
Notch the edges handsomely, and put a paste flower in the centre.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
It had rained among the hills about the Notch, and cleared off.
The Works of Whittier, Volume VI (of VII)
John Greenleaf Whittier
Then he turned to the nearest tree, and made a notch on the bark with the blade.
Roden's Corner
Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for notch

notch

noun

a V-shaped cut or indentation; nick

a cut or nick made in a tally stick or similar object

US and Canadian a narrow pass or gorge

informal a step or level (esp in the phrase a notch above)

verb (tr)

to cut or make a notch in

to record with or as if with a notch

(usually foll by up) informal to score or achievethe team notched up its fourth win

Word Origin for notch

C16: from incorrect division of an otch (as a notch), from Old French oche notch, from Latin obsecāre to cut off, from secāre to cut

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for notch

n.

1570s, probably a misdivision of an otch (see N for other examples), from Middle French oche "notch," from Old French ochier "to notch," of unknown origin. Said to be unconnected to nock.

v.

1590s, from notch (n.). Earlier verb (before misdivision) was Middle English ochen "to cut, slash" (c.1400). Related: Notched; notching.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

notch in Medicine

notch

[nŏch]

n.

An indentation at the edge of a structure; an incisure.

An upstroke or peak on a pulse tracing.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with notch

notch

see take down a notch.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.