notch

noun

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\ ˈnäch

Definition of notch

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a V-shaped indentation

b : a slit made to serve as a record

c : a rounded indentation cut into the pages of a book on the edge opposite the spine

2 : a deep close pass : gap

3 : degree, step

notch

verb

notched; notching; notches

Definition of notch (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to cut or make a notch in

2a : to mark or record by a notch

b : score, achieve —sometimes used with up

Other Words from notch Synonyms Did you know? Example Sentences Learn More About notch

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Did you know?

Noun

Occasionally, you might hear a child ask for a "napple," as in "I would like a napple," mistaking the phrase "an apple" for "a napple." A similar error is believed to be behind notch, which may have resulted from a misdivision of "an otch." (Otch is a noun that is assumed to have existed in earlier English as a borrowing of Middle French oche, meaning "an incision made to keep a record.") Notch would not be alone in developing from such a mistake. The words newt and nickname were formed, respectively, from misdivisions of "an ewte" and "an ekename." Going in the other direction, umpire first appears in Middle English as oumpere, a mistaken rendering of "a noumpere."

Examples of notch in a Sentence

Noun Cut small notches at the corners of the fabric. The tool has a notch for prying out nails. The town is on the other side of the notch. They turned the volume up several notches. Verb Notch the ends so that they fit together. He notched his fifth victory this year.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In late June, Fitch Ratings downgraded Evergrande and its subsidiaries by one notch to B, or five notches below investment grade. — Xie Yu, WSJ, 19 July 2021 The least expensive room goes for 3,601 RMB (about $557) per night, while the J Suite -- one notch less posh han the Shanghai Suite -- costs 67,628 RMB per night (about $10,467). — Lilit Marcus And Shawn Deng, CNN, 29 June 2021 Overall, iFixit gave the new iMac a repairability score of 2 out of 10 — one notch lower than the previous model. — Washington Post, 16 June 2021 Research on the novel coronavirus is handled in labs one notch down: BSL-3. — Emily Willingham, Scientific American, 14 June 2021 Unfortunately, the final flight of hurdles was set one notch too high, which bothered some of the athletes more than others. — Joe Magill, cleveland, 29 May 2021 Service is top-notch, passionate and informed, and the views out over the 35-acre lake showcase classic North Carolina scenery. — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 22 June 2021 Davidson positioned himself under the pipe, looking up through a dramatic, V-shaped notch against the sky as Powers and his friends looked down at him. — Steven Litt, cleveland, 6 June 2021 Ramp it up a notch (or several) with a glamping experience at Moab’s Under Canvas outpost (from $300), located about seven miles north of the park entrance. — Shawnté Salabert, Outside Online, 22 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb But conservatives have used similar tactics to thwart the feminist movement and to notch victories in the culture wars on American campuses. — John Blake, CNN, 12 July 2021 The final trading day of last week saw the SPX notch another closing record high as the market apparently continues to buy the Fed’s analysis that the spike in inflation won’t last long. — Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 28 June 2021 Despite losing star guard James Harden in the initial minute of the opener, Brooklyn went on to notch victories in the first two contests. — Alex Kay, Forbes, 19 June 2021 The report is expected to show that prices excluding food and energy continued to notch strong gains last month, rising 3.4% over the previous year. — Julia Horowitz, CNN, 10 June 2021 Ten of the coolest hotel pools in Southern California offer day-use passes for locals or anyone who wants to notch a few laps or just hang. — Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2021 Evans and Berry will play the Beavercreek squad in the semifinals while Choo and Dong will hope to again notch an upset over King and Joshi. — Alex Harrison, The Enquirer, 21 May 2021 Even though Stanley would prefer more time to mix and match her roster together the Fever area eager to get back at it on Friday and potentially notch their first win of the season. — J.l. Kirven, The Indianapolis Star, 20 May 2021 After falling behind in the third quarter, the Rangers rallied to notch five of the last six goals and topple Highland Park 10-8 in the Texas High School Lacrosse League Class AA championship Sunday at Turner Stadium. — Dallas News, 10 May 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'notch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.