notch
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.
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 about notch
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
1Other words from notch
- notchy, adjective
- un·notched, adjective
Words Nearby notch
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use notch in a sentence
About two weeks before your gathering, though, it’s time to take your efforts up a notch.
How to plan a COVID-safe Thanksgiving, week-by-week | Kate Baggaley | October 30, 2020 | Popular-ScienceTake your kitchen game up a notch when you invest in creative cookware.
Unique pan designs for a creative cooking experience | PopSci Commerce Team | October 28, 2020 | Popular-ScienceHowever, there are certain things you can do to take your search engine optimization a notch up with Bing.
Five excellent tips to optimize SEO for Bing – not Google | Justin Staples | October 16, 2020 | Search Engine WatchInstead, use those patterns as signals for when to ramp up activities or take things down a notch.
Everything You Need to Know About Period Tracking | Christine Yu | September 6, 2020 | Outside OnlineBillings suggested that it might be possible to store information about people as notches in the sides of cards.
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 | THE DAILY BEASTCan you imagine Superman being handed over to a writer just a notch above amateur?
And from the start, with top-notch production values certainly upgraded from a “YouTube video,” Alpha House did.
Inside the Political Fun House: How ‘Alpha House’ Became Amazon’s First Big Hit | Kevin Fallon | October 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWith top-notch designers, developers, and producers, they can even transform their own platforms.
Why Isn't Silicon Valley Doing More to Fight Ebola? | Abby Haglage | October 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut 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 | THE DAILY BEASTThere must be a fly-wheel, with a notch to carry the rope, and also a small notch wheel on the drum-axle.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis TrevithickThe sides of the notch were steep, and the boys rode through it in single file, Matt taking the lead.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. MatthewsThe ridge was broken by a notch, and the road crawled through the opening and into the defile.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. MatthewsMatt had just time to catch a glimpse of a rock rushing down the side of the notch.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. MatthewsIn less than a quarter of an hour afterward he reached the notch, Matt wheeling into it close at his heels.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
British Dictionary definitions for notch
/ (nɒtʃ) /
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)
to cut or make a notch in
to record with or as if with a notch
(usually foll by up) informal to score or achieve: the team notched up its fourth win
Origin of notch
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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.
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