Revised 2011 More entries for "scotch"
scotchnoun1
Factsheet
What does the noun scotch mean?
There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun scotch, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
This word is used in eastern English regional dialect.
How common is the noun scotch?
About 0.3occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.1 |
| 1760 | 0.089 |
| 1770 | 0.087 |
| 1780 | 0.071 |
| 1790 | 0.061 |
| 1800 | 0.057 |
| 1810 | 0.052 |
| 1820 | 0.042 |
| 1830 | 0.027 |
| 1840 | 0.028 |
| 1850 | 0.03 |
| 1860 | 0.031 |
| 1870 | 0.036 |
| 1880 | 0.041 |
| 1890 | 0.046 |
| 1900 | 0.051 |
| 1910 | 0.062 |
| 1920 | 0.086 |
| 1930 | 0.11 |
| 1940 | 0.13 |
| 1950 | 0.16 |
| 1960 | 0.2 |
| 1970 | 0.22 |
| 1980 | 0.26 |
| 1990 | 0.3 |
| 2000 | 0.33 |
| 2010 | 0.34 |
How is the noun scotch pronounced?
British English
/skɒtʃ/
skotch
U.S. English
/skɑtʃ/
skahtch
Where does the noun scotch come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the noun scotch is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for scotch is from around 1450, in Recipes.
It is also recorded as a verb from the Middle English period (1150—1500).
scotch is formed within English, by conversion.
Etymons: scotch v.1
Nearby entries
- scorza, n.1821–
- scorzalite, n.1947–
- scorzoner, n.1597–1700
- scorzonera, n.1629–
- Scot, n.¹Old English–
- scot, n.²1189–
- scot, n.³?a1300–
- scot, v.?c1225–
- scot-ale, n.c1155–
- scot and lot, adj.1686–
- scotch, n.¹c1450–
- scotch, n.²1601–
- Scotch, adj. & n.³1407–
- scotch, v.¹?c1425–
- scotch, v.²1601–
- Scotch acre, n.1740–
- Scotch ale, n.1618–
- Scotch argus, n.1803–
- Scotch asphodel, n.1771–
- Scotch attorney, n.1864–
- Scotch bait, n.1785
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for scotch, n.¹
scotch, n.1 was revised in June 2011
scotch, n.1 was last modified in July 2023
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into scotch, n.1 in July 2023.
Earlier versions of scotch, n.1 were published in:
OED First Edition (1910)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for scotch, n.¹
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- scorza, n.1821–
- scorzalite, n.1947–
- scorzoner, n.1597–1700
- scorzonera, n.1629–
- Scot, n.¹Old English–
- scot, n.²1189–
- scot, n.³?a1300–
- scot, v.?c1225–
- scot-ale, n.c1155–
- scot and lot, adj.1686–
- scotch, n.¹c1450–
- scotch, n.²1601–
- Scotch, adj. & n.³1407–
- scotch, v.¹?c1425–
- scotch, v.²1601–
- Scotch acre, n.1740–
- Scotch ale, n.1618–
- Scotch argus, n.1803–
- Scotch asphodel, n.1771–
- Scotch attorney, n.1864–
- Scotch bait, n.1785
