[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/notch.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / notch

[← N](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/N/)

# notch

«notch» in Mova's school dictionary: **A small V-shaped cut in an edge or surface** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a notch, notches); verb (notch, notches, notched, notching)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A small V-shaped cut in an edge or surface. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#m1)

2) A level or step on a scale: turn the heat up a notch. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#m2)

3) (verb) To make a notch in something. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#m3)

4) (verb, informal) notch up: to achieve or score: notch up a win. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life you tighten your belt by a notch, or turn the volume «up a notch». In history and stories, people cut notches in sticks to count days (tally sticks). In sport, teams «notch up» wins. Phrases: up a notch, top-notch (excellent), notch up.

### examples

- He tightened his belt by one notch. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#x1)
- Turn the music down a notch, please. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#x2)
- The prisoner cut a notch in the wall for each day. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#x3)
- Our team notched up another win. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#x4)
- The cake was top-notch! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#x5)
- Cut a small notch in the stick to hold the string. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#x6)
- The tally stick had twelve notches. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#x7)
- He took the bow, and fitting an arrow to the notch, took careful aim and let fly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/#x8)

### note

Countable: notches (add -es). «Top-notch» (informal) = excellent. In maths history, notches on bones and sticks were an early way of counting (tally marks).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «notch» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notch/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.