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scotch

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scotch¹

  • /skɒt͡ʃ/ UK
  • /skɑt͡ʃ/ US

Rhymes with -ɒtʃ

Where it comes from

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 scotches

  1. A surface cut or abrasion.
  2. A line drawn on the ground, as one used in playing hopscotch.
  3. 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

verb scotches · scotching · scotched

  1. transitive To cut or score; to wound superficially. We have scotched the snake, not killed it.
  2. transitive To prevent (something) from being successful. The rain scotched his plans of going to the beach.

    Similar: foil, put the kibosh on, thwart

  3. transitive To debunk or discredit an idea or rumor. The prime minister scotched rumors of his resignation.

    Similar: spike

  4. transitive To block a wheel or other round object. The workers stopped the rig on an incline and scotched the wheels.

    Similar: chock, block

  5. transitive To dress (stone) with a pick or pointed instrument.
  6. transitive To beat yarn in order to break up slugs and align the threads. Yarn is scotched immediately after it has been dried and while it is still warm. http://www.google.com/patents?id=DXdGAAAAEBAJ&pg=PP3&vq=scotched&dq=scotching
  7. obsolete, transitive To clothe or cover up.

scotch²

  • /skɒt͡ʃ/ UK
  • /skɑt͡ʃ/ US

Rhymes with -ɒtʃ

adjective more scotch · most scotch

  1. alternative Alternative form of Scotch (“Scottish”)

noun scotches

  1. alternative, countable, uncountable Alternative form of Scotch (“whisky”). A waiter brought his aperitif, which was a small scotch and soda, and as he sipped it gratefully he sighed.

scotch³

  • /skɒt͡ʃ/ UK
  • /skɑt͡ʃ/ US

Rhymes with -ɒtʃ

Where it comes from

From 3M's Scotch tape; the Australian rhyming slang comes from the rhyme between tape and rape.

noun

  1. abbreviation, clipping, uncountable Clipping of Scotch tape

verb scotches · scotching · scotched

  1. Australian, slang, transitive To rape.

    Similar: abuse, ravish, violate, constuprate, defile, defoul, dishonour, force, misuse, oppress, outrage, pollute

Scotch⁴

  • /skɒt͡ʃ/ UK
  • /skɑt͡ʃ/ US

Rhymes with -ɒtʃ

Where it comes from

From Middle English *Scoche (attested in Scocheman, whence Scotchman), a contraction of Scottisch, whence Scottish. The chess opening is supposedly named after a correspondence game between Edinburgh, Scotland, and London, England. Doublet of Scottish, Scots, and schottische.

proper noun the Scotch

  1. dated The Scots language. But Rob was just saying what a shame it was that folk should be shamed nowadays to speak Scotch – or they called it Scots if they did, the split-tongued sourocks!
  2. dated The Scottish dialect of English.

    Similar: Scots, Scottish

  3. dated The people of Scotland. The Scotch are a hardy bunch.

    Similar: Scots, Scottish

  4. informal The opening 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4. Karpov played the Scotch against Anand.

    Similar: the Scotch Game

noun Scotches

  1. uncountable Whisky distilled in Scotland, especially from malted barley. Paul has drunk a lot of Scotch.

    Similar: malt, malt whiskey, malt whisky, Scotch whisky

  2. countable Any variety of Scotch. My favorite Scotches are Glenlivet and Laphroaig.
  3. countable A glass of Scotch. Gimme a Scotch.

adjective

  1. dated, not comparable Of or from Scotland; Scottish. Behind all his assumed unsocialism there lay a true warm heart; nor could anything be kindlier than the welcome which, whenever they did come to him, any of his Scotch relatives received.

    Similar: Scottish, Scots

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: spoil, thwart, frustrate, baffle, stinting, frugal, economical, sparing, thrifty, queer, malt whiskey, malt whisky, scotch whisky, scottish, cross, foil

Translations

Every language

noun a surface cut

Españolcorte, rasmillo
Русскийнадре́з nadréz, насе́чка naséčka

noun a block for a wheel or other round object

Русскийтормозно́й башма́к tormoznój bašmák, клин klin

verb To prevent (something) from being successful

Deutschblockieren, verhindern, durchkreuzen
Русскийпресечь presečʹ, положи́ть коне́ц položítʹ konéc, прекрати́ть prekratítʹ

name Lowland Scots language

Españolescocés
日本語スコットランド語 sukottorandogo
中文低地蘇格蘭語 /低地苏格兰语 dīdì Sūgélányǔ
हिन्दीस्कॉट्स skŏṭs
Portuguêsânglico escocês
Françaisécossais, scots
DeutschNiederschottisch, Schottisch
Ελληνικάσκωτς skots
Românăscoțiană joasă
Русскийшотла́ндский
العربيةإسكتلندية ʔiskutlandiyya

name dialect

Ελληνικάσκοτσέζικα skotsézika

name people of Scotland

Españolescoceses
FrançaisÉcossais
Italianoscozzesi
ΕλληνικάΣκοτσέζοι Skotsézoi
Românăscoțieni

noun uncountable: whisky made in Scotland

한국어스카치 seukachi
日本語スコッチウィスキー sukotchiwisukī
中文蘇格蘭威士忌 /苏格兰威士忌 Sūgélán wēishìjì
Françaisscotch
DeutschScotch
Românăscotch
Русскийскотч skotč, шотла́ндский ви́ски šotlándskij víski, шотла́ндское ви́ски šotlándskoje víski

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MLA

"scotch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/scotch. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

scotch. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/scotch

Chicago

"scotch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/scotch.

BibTeX
@misc{scotch_2026,
  title = {scotch},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/scotch},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}