What does "notch" mean?
A V-shaped cut.
Notch
/nɒtʃ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A V-shaped cut.
- Grammar: notch is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abysm, abyss, accomplish, accrue.
- Useful contrasts: bulge, erase, fill.
- Usage evidence: You're just another notch in my bedpost.
How to use "notch"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "notch" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "notch" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "notch" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "notch" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "notch" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abysm" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "notch", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A V-shaped cut.
- 2 a small cut wordnet
- 3 A V-shaped cut.; Such a cut, used for keeping a record.
"The notches in that tribe's warrior axe handles stand for killed enemies."
- 4 a V-shaped or U-shaped indentation carved or scratched into a surface wordnet
- 5 An indentation.
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 the location in a range of mountains of a geological formation that is lower than the surrounding peaks wordnet
- 7 A mountain pass; a defile.
- 8 a V-shaped indentation wordnet
- 9 The female primary sex organ, vulva. slang
"If this Coin pass, no Man that lives, Shall dun for Past Debauches; Zounds, Landlords, send but in your Wifes, We’ll scow’r off all their Notches."
- 10 A woman. US, slang
"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"
- 11 A discontinuous change in a taxation schedule.
- 12 A level or degree. informal
"This car is a notch better than the other."
- 13 A portion of a mobile phone that overlaps the edge of the screen, used to house a camera, sensors etc. while maximizing screen space.
Verb
- 1 To cut a notch in (something). transitive
- 2 notch a surface to record something wordnet
- 3 To record (a score or similar) by making notches on something. transitive
"The tribe's hunters notch their kills by notches on each's axe's handle."
- 4 cut or make a notch into wordnet
- 5 To join by means of notches. transitive
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To achieve (something); to add to one's score or record of successes. informal, transitive
"The team notched a pair of shutout wins on Sunday."
- 7 Synonym of nock (“to fit (an arrow) to a bow”). transitive
"Notching an arrow on the string of his tried and unerring bow, he raised his sinewy arms […]"
- 8 To change in small graduations. transitive
"to notch back a salary"
Example
"You're just another notch in my bedpost."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "notch"?
Common synonyms include: abysm, abyss, accomplish, accrue, achieve, achieve.
How do you use "notch" in a sentence?
You're just another notch in my bedpost.
How do you pronounce "notch"?
Pronounced /nɒtʃ/.
Etymology
Recorded since 1577, probably a rebracketing of an otch, 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”).