What does notch mean?
A notch is a small, narrow cut, groove, or indentation in a surface, often made to serve a mechanical or practical purpose. The word is especially common in woodworking, metalworking, engineering, and descriptions of damaged or marked surfaces. In figurative uses, “a notch” can indicate a slight degree or level within a larger scale, as in “a notch higher.” A related verb, “to notch,” means to cut or indent an object, usually with deliberate precision. Phrases such as “a notch above” and “notch up” are established idioms: the first means to be better than something else, while the second means to increase a score, total, or level. Although “notch” is not limited to any one English-speaking region, its technical uses are especially associated with construction, manufacturing, and woodworking.
A narrow cut, groove, or indentation in a surface, especially one made deliberately.
"The carpenter made a precise notch in the wood."
A notch can be functional, as in a slot or alignment mark, or merely descriptive, as when referring to a small indentation.
To make a cut, groove, or indentation in something, typically with a tool.
"They notched the metal to fit it around the pipe."
Usually transitive and used when the cut or indentation is deliberate and noticeable.
The standard plural of the noun is “notches.”
"The old wooden frame had several notches around its edge."
The phrase “a notch above” turns a small cut in a surface into a metaphor for being noticeably better than someone or something else.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does notch come from?
The word “notch” entered English in the late medieval period, probably through Old French. Its precise early development is less certain, but the word has long referred to a small indentation or cut. Modern senses extending to marked levels and to figurative improvement developed from the idea of a notch serving as a physical marker or stopping point.
Related word forms
How notch is actually used
The noun is common in technical, craft, and descriptive contexts. The idiom “a notch above” is informal but established; “notch up” usually means to increase or improve a total, score, or achievement.