notch

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

notch, n. [Akin to nock; cf. OD. nock, OSw. nocka. Cf. Nick a notch.].

•  A hollow cut in anything; a nick; an indentation.  [1913 Webster]

  "And on the stick ten equal notches makes."  [1913 Webster]
•  A narrow passage between two elevations; a deep, close pass; a defile; as, the notch of a mountain.  [1913 Webster]

notch, v. t. 

•  To cut or make notches in; to indent; also, to score by notches; as, to notch a stick.  [1913 Webster]
•  To fit the notch of (an arrow) to the string.  [1913 Webster]

  "God is all sufferance; here he doth show
  No arrow notched, only a stringless bow."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

notch, n. & v.
--n.
1 a V-shaped indentation on an edge or surface.
2 a nick made on a stick etc. in order to keep count.
3 colloq. a step or degree (move up a notch).
4 US a deep gorge.
--v.tr.
1 make notches in.
2 (foll. by up) record or score with or as with notches.
3 secure or insert by notches.

Derivative

notched adj. notcher n. notchy adj. (notchier, notchiest).

Etymology

AF noche perh. f. a verbal form nocher (unrecorded), of uncert. orig.

THESAURUS

notch

Vandyke, abysm, abyss, accomplish, achieve, alveolation, alveolus, amount, arroyo, birthmark, blaze, blaze a trail, blemish, blotch, box canyon, brand, breach, break, caliber, canyon, caste mark, cavity, chalk, chalk up, chap, chasm, check, check off, checkmark, chimney, chink, chop, cicatrix, cicatrize, cleft, cleuch, clough, col, compass, coulee, couloir, crack, cranny, crenellate, crenulate, crevasse, crevice, crimp, cut, cwm, dapple, dash, defile, define, degree, delimit, dell, demarcate, dent, depress, dike, dimple, dint, discolor, discoloration, ditch, donga, dot, draw, earmark, engrave, engraving, excavation, extent, fault, fissure, flaw, fleck, flick, flume, fracture, freckle, furrow, gain, gap, gape, gash, gorge, gouge, gradation, grade, graving, groove, gulch, gulf, gully, hack, hatch, height, hole, honeycomb, impress, impression, imprint, incise, incision, indent, indentation, indention, indenture, interval, jag, joint, jot, kloof, knurl, leak, leap, lentigo, level, line, machicolate, macula, make a mark, mark, mark off, mark out, marking, measure, mill, moat, mole, mottle, nevus, nick, nock, nuance, nullah, opening, pas, pass, passage, patch, peg, pencil, pepper, period, picot, pink, pit, pitch, plane, plateau, pock, pockmark, point, polka dot, press in, prick, print, proportion, punch, punch in, punctuate, puncture, range, ratio, ravine, reach, recess, register, remove, rent, riddle, rift, rime, round, rung, rupture, scale, scallop, scar, scarification, scarify, scissure, scope, score, scotch, scratch, scratching, seal, seam, serrate, set back, set in, shade, shadow, slash, slit, slot, space, speck, speckle, splash, split, splotch, spot, stage, stain, stair, stamp, standard, step, stigma, stigmatize, stint, strawberry mark, streak, striate, stripe, sunken part, tamp, tattoo, tattoo mark, tick, tick off, tittle, tooth, trace, tread, trench, underline, underscore, valley, void, wadi, watermark, win

ROGET THESAURUS

notch

Interval

N interval, interspace, separation, break, gap, opening, hole, chasm, hiatus, caesura, interruption, interregnum, interstice, lacuna, cleft, mesh, crevice, chink, rime, creek, cranny, crack, chap, slit, fissure, scissure, rift, flaw, breach, rent, gash, cut, leak, dike, ha-ha, gorge, defile, ravine, canon, crevasse, abyss, abysm, gulf, inlet, frith, strait, gully, pass, furrow, abra, barranca, barranco, clove, gulch, notch, yawning gulf, hiatus maxime, hiatus valde deflendus, parenthesis, void, incompleteness, period, interim (time), with an interval, far between, breachy, rimose, rimulose, at intervals, longo intervallo.

Angularity

N angularity, angularness, aduncity, angle, cusp, bend, fold, notch, fork, bifurcation, elbow, knee, knuckle, ankle, groin, crotch, crutch, crane, fluke, scythe, sickle, zigzag, kimbo, akimbo, corner, nook, recess, niche, oriel, coign, right angle, obliquity, angle of 45 degrees, miter, acute angle, obtuse angle, salient angle, reentering angle, spherical angle, angular measurement, angular elevation, angular distance, angular velocity, trigonometry, goniometry, altimetry, clinometer, graphometer, goniometer, theodolite, sextant, quadrant, dichotomy, triangle, trigon, wedge, rectangle, square, lozenge, diamond, rhomb, rhombus, quadrangle, quadrilateral, parallelogram, quadrature, polygon, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, oxygon, decagon, pyramid, cone, Platonic bodies, cube, rhomboid, tetrahedron, pentahedron, hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron, eicosahedron, prism, pyramid, parallelopiped, curb roof, gambrel roof, mansard roof, angular, bent, crooked, aduncous, uncinated, aquiline, jagged, serrated, falciform, falcated, furcated, forked, bifurcate, zigzag, furcular, hooked, dovetailed, knock kneed, crinkled, akimbo, kimbo, geniculated, oblique, fusiform, wedge-shaped, cuneiform, cuneate, multangular, oxygonal, triangular, trigonal, trilateral, quadrangular, quadrilateral, foursquare, rectangular, square, multilateral, polygonal, cubical, rhomboid, rhomboidal, pyramidal.

Notch

N notch, dent, nick, cut, indent, indentation, dimple, embrasure, battlement, machicolation, saw, tooth, crenelle, scallop, scollop, vandyke, depression, jag, notched, crenate, crenated, dentate, dentated, denticulate, denticulated, toothed, palmated, serrated.

VB notch, nick, cut, dent, indent, jag, scarify, scotch, crimp, scallop, scollop, crenulate, vandyke.

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.

Record

N record, trace, vestige, relic, remains, scar, cicatrix, footstep, footmark, footprint, pug, track mark, wake, trail, scent, piste, monument, hatchment, slab, tablet, trophy, achievement, obelisk, pillar, column, monolith, memorial, memento, testimonial, medal, commemoration, record, note, minute, register, registry, roll, cartulary, diptych, Domesday book, catalogue raisonne, entry, memorandum, indorsement, inscription, copy, duplicate, docket, notch, muniment, deed, document, deposition, proces verbal, affidavit, certificate, notebook, memorandum book, memo book, pocketbook, commonplace book, portfolio, pigeonholes, excerpta, adversaria, jottings, dottings, gazette, gazetteer, newspaper, daily, magazine, almanac, almanack, calendar, ephemeris, diary, log, journal, daybook, ledger, cashbook, petty cashbook, professional journal, scientific literature, the literature, primary literature, secondary literature, article, review article, archive, scroll, state paper, return, blue book, statistics, compte rendu, Acts of, Transactions of, Proceedings of, Hansard's Debates, chronicle, annals, legend, history, biography, Congressional Records, registration, registry, enrollment, inrollment, tabulation, entry, booking, signature, recorder, journalism, recording, tape recording, videotape, compact disk, floppy disk, diskette, hard disk, Winchester disk, read-only memory, ROM, write once read mostly memory, WORM, on record, exegi monumentum aere perennium, read their history in a nation's eyes, records that defy the tooth of time.