Scotch Meaning
/skɒt͡ʃ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA surface cut or abrasion.
nounA line drawn on the ground, as one used in playing hopscotch.
Sentence Examples
John drinks Scotch and Mary bourbon.
Another Scotch and water, please.
Could I have a scotch on the rocks please?
CEFR Practice Quiz
The manager tried to ____ the damaging false rumors before they spread further.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He poured himself a glass of single malt ____ and settled into the armchair.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 4, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:
"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."
— 1952 April, C. R. Clinker and Gordon Biddle, “Swannington and Ticknall Today”, in Railway Magazine, pages 264-265:
"The cars are positioned and secured solely by simple scotches pegged into the decking of the vehicle and easily movable; [...]."
— 1964 November, “"Cartic 4"—BR's new two-tier car-carrier”, in Modern Railways, page 324:
"We have scotched the snake, not killed it."
— 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]:
"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."
— 2023 August 23, Rory Carroll, “Files reveal terms ministers were warned not to use in Northern Ireland”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The manager tried to ____ the damaging false rumors before they spread further.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He poured himself a glass of single malt ____ and settled into the armchair.