• (British) IPA: /skɒtʃ/
• (America) IPA: /skɑtʃ/

scotch (plural 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.
   • 1913, D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, chapter 4

     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.

   a scotch for a wheel or a log on inclined ground

• Russian: надре́з
• Spanish: corte; rasmillo

• Russian: тормозной башма́к (tormoznóy bašmák) m, клин

scotch (scotches, present participle scotching; past and past participle scotched)

1. (transitive) To cut#Verb|cut or score#Verb|score; to wound#Verb|wound superficially.
   • c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act 3, scene 2]:

     We have scotched the snake, not killed it.

2. (transitive) To prevent (something) from being successful.

   Synonyms: foil, put the kibosh on, thwart

   The rain scotched his plans of going to the beach.

3. (transitive) To debunk or discredit an idea or rumor.

   The prime minister scotched rumors of his resignation.

4. (transitive) To block#Verb|block a wheel or other round#Adjective|round object.

   Synonyms: chock, block

   The workers stopped the rig on an incline and scotched the wheels.

   • 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.

5. (transitive) To dress#Verb|dress (stone) with a pick#Noun|pick or pointed instrument.
6. (transitive, textile manufacturing) To beat#Verb|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.

7. (transitive, obsolete) To clothe or cover up.

• German: blockieren, verhindern, durchkreuzen
• Russian: пресечь

scotch

1. Alternative form of Scotch#English|Scotch (“Scottish”)

scotch

1. Alternative form of Scotch#English|Scotch (“whisky”)

scotch (uncountable)

1. Scotch tape

scotch (scotches, present participle scotching; past and past participle scotched)

1. (transitive, Australian rhyming slang) To rape.

• (RP) IPA: /skɒtʃ/
• (GA) IPA: /skɑtʃ/

scotch

1. (as a plural noun, the Scotch) The people of Scotland.

   The Scotch are a hardy bunch.

2. (uncountable) Whisky distilled in Scotland, especially from malted barley.

   Paul has drunk a lot of Scotch.

3. (countable) Any variety of Scotch.

   My favorite Scotches are Glenlivet and Laphroaig.

4. (countable) A glass of Scotch.

   Gimme a Scotch.

• (people of Scotland) Scots, Scottish
• (whisky) malt, malt whiskey, malt whisky, Scotch whisky

• French: scotch
• German: Scotch
• Russian: скотч

1. (dated) The Scottish dialect of English, or the Scots language.
   • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 156:

     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. (chess, informal, the Scotch) The opening 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4.

   Karpov played the Scotch against Anand.

• (dialect) Scots, Scots English, Scottish
• (chess opening) Scotch Game (not informal)

scotch (not comparable)

1. (dated) Of or from Scotland; Scottish.
   • 1801, William Hanna, Memoirs of the life and writings of Thomas Chalmers (page 422)

     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.

• Scottish
• Scots