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.
Meanings
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
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:
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:
cs zarážka (a block for a wheel or other round object) · bg драскотина (a surface cut) · ru тормозно́й башма́к (a block for a wheel or other round object) · ru надре́з (a surface cut) · ru клин (a block for a wheel or other round object) · es rasmillo (a surface cut) · es corte (a surface cut) · cs klín (a block for a wheel or other round object) · ru насе́чка (a surface cut) · cs blok (a block for a wheel or other round object) · bg клин (a block for a wheel or other round object)
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.
Meanings
(transitive) To cut or score; to wound superficially.
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]:
(transitive) To prevent (something) from being successful.
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.
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:
(transitive) To block a wheel or other round object.
The workers stopped the rig on an incline and scotched the wheels.
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.
(qualifier:textile manufacturing, 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
cs zarazit (To prevent (something) from being successful) · ca frustrar (To prevent (something) from being successful) · de verhindern (To prevent (something) from being successful) · cs utnout (To prevent (something) from being successful) · ru положи́ть коне́ц (To prevent (something) from being successful) · ru прекрати́ть (To prevent (something) from being successful) · de blockieren (To prevent (something) from being successful) · cs zablokovat (To prevent (something) from being successful) · ru пресечь (To prevent (something) from being successful) · de durchkreuzen (To prevent (something) from being successful)
A waiter brought his aperitif, which was a small scotch and soda, and as he sipped it gratefully he sighed. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC: