notch

Recorded since 1577, probably a rebracketing of an + otch, which noun stems from Middle French oche (“notch”), itself from the Old French verb ochier (“to notch”), of uncertain origin, but possibly related to French hocher and English nick (“small cut, notch”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /nɒtʃ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /nɑtʃ/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒtʃ

notch (plural notches)

1. A V-shaped cut.
   1. Such a cut, used for keeping a record.

      The notches in that tribe's warrior axe handles stand for killed enemies.

   2. (slang) Woman.
      • 2003, “California Girls”, in Married to the Game, performed by Too $hort:

        These ladies from the west got game
        Who got the best, VA, DC, Georgia, New York, Texas, Louisiana, or Florida
        The Middwest got some super notches
        You eva seen Cali's finest, man, who could top us

2. An indentation.
3. A mountain pass; a defile.
4. (informal) A level or degree.

   This car is a notch better than the other.

   Can you speak a notch louder, please?

   • 2014, Daniel Taylor, "World Cup 2014: Uruguay sink England as Suárez makes his mark," guardian.co.uk, 20 June:

     a better team might also have done more to expose Uruguay’s occasionally brittle defence, but England’s speed of thought and movement in their attacking positions was a good notch or two down from the Italy game.

5. (electronics) A portion of a mobile phone that overlaps the edge of the screen, used to house camera, sensors etc. while maximizing screen space.

notch (third-person singular simple present notches, present participle notching, simple past and past participle notched)

1. (transitive) To cut a notch in (something).
2. (transitive) To record (a score or similar) by making notches on something.

   The tribe's hunters notch their kills by notches on each's axe's handle.

3. (transitive) To join by means of notches.
4. (transitive) To achieve (something).

   The team notched a pair of shutout wins on Sunday.

   • 2010 October 21, “Panthers' football team”, in Portland Leader‎^{[www.portlandleader.net/articles/2010/10/21/sports/17734115.txt]}:

     Jenkins booted a pair of field goals, Hopkins and George Nwokoji each notched a touchdown.

• notcher
• notchy

• Partridge, Eric (2006): Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English

From nota + ch.

• Hyphenation: notch

notch

1. the penis