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scotch
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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See also: Scotch
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English scocchen (“to cut”), perhaps from Anglo-Norman escocher (“to notch”), from es- (“intensive prefix”) (from Latin ex-) + Old French coche (“notch”). Not related to Scotch.
Noun
scotch (plural scotches)
- A surface cut or abrasion.
- A line drawn on the ground, as one used in playing hopscotch.
- A block for a wheel or other round object; a chock, wedge, prop, or other support, to prevent slipping.
- a scotch for a wheel or a log on inclined ground
- 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 4, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:
- He was like the scotch in the smooth, happy machinery of the home. And he was always aware of this fall of silence on his entry, the shutting off of life, the unwelcome.
- 1952 April, C. R. Clinker and Gordon Biddle, “Swannington and Ticknall Today”, in Railway Magazine, pages 264-265:
- In December, 1949, the Ashby to Worthington section of the former Midland Railway Ashby branch was divided into two portions by the insertion of a scotch block at Ticknall Siding, which requires both the tablet from Worthington and wooden staff from Ashby to unlock it and permit through working.
- 1964 November, “"Cartic 4"—BR's new two-tier car-carrier”, in Modern Railways, page 324:
- The cars are positioned and secured solely by simple scotches pegged into the decking of the vehicle and easily movable; [...].
Derived terms
Translations
a surface cut
Verb
scotch (third-person singular simple present scotches, present participle scotching, simple past and past participle scotched)
- (transitive) To cut or score; to wound superficially.
- c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
- We have scotched the snake, not killed it.
- (transitive) To prevent (something) from being successful.
- Synonyms: foil, put the kibosh on, thwart
- The rain scotched his plans of going to the beach.
- (transitive) To debunk or discredit an idea or rumor.
- The prime minister scotched rumors of his resignation.
- 2023 August 23, Rory Carroll, “Files reveal terms ministers were warned not to use in Northern Ireland”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- Other declassified files from the 1960s show that the Northern Ireland government discussed a proposed tunnel to Scotland. Several district councils and a US firm, Technical Studies Inc, championed the idea, but Stormont officials scotched it as impractical and too expensive.
- (transitive) To block a wheel or other round object.
- 1911, Arnold Bennett, The Card: A Story of Adventure in the Five Towns, London: Methuen Publishing, OCLC 492063506; republished Toronto, Ont.: William Briggs, 1910s, OCLC 225424669, page 69:
- The pantechnicon was running away. It had perceived the wrath to come and was fleeing. Its guardians had evidently left it imperfectly scotched or braked, and it had got loose.
- 1911, Arnold Bennett, The Card: A Story of Adventure in the Five Towns, London: Methuen Publishing, OCLC 492063506; republished Toronto, Ont.: William Briggs, 1910s, OCLC 225424669, page 69:
- (transitive) To dress (stone) with a pick or pointed instrument.
- (transitive, textile manufacturing) To beat yarn in order to break up slugs and align the threads.
- (transitive, obsolete) To clothe or cover up.
Translations
To prevent (something) from being successful
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Etymology 2
Adjective
scotch (comparative more scotch, superlative most scotch)
- Alternative form of Scotch (“Scottish”)
Noun
scotch (countable and uncountable, plural scotches)
- Alternative form of Scotch (“whisky”).
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
- A waiter brought his aperitif, which was a small scotch and soda, and as he sipped it gratefully he sighed.
Etymology 3
From 3M's Scotch tape.
Noun
scotch (uncountable)
Verb
scotch (third-person singular simple present scotches, present participle scotching, simple past and past participle scotched)
- (transitive, Australian rhyming slang) To rape.
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French
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Noun
scotch m (plural scotchs)
- scotch (whisky)
Etymology 2
From 3M's Scotch tape. Genericized trademark.
Noun
scotch m (uncountable)
- Scotch tape, sticky tape
- Synonyms: (Belgium) papier collant, ruban adhésif
Derived terms
Further reading
- “scotch”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
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Italian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English scotch.
Pronunciation
Noun
scotch m (invariable)
- scotch (whiskey)
- adhesive tape
- Synonym: nastro adesivo
Romanian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English scotch.
Noun
scotch n (uncountable)
- scotch tape
Declension
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