Scotch

English

Noun

Scotch (countable and uncountable; plural Scotches)

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

   The Scotch are a hardy bunch.

2. (uncountable) Whisky made in Scotland.

   Vahag 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.

5. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)</span> A brand of transparent adhesive tape manufactured by 3M.

Notes

• Use of Scotch to refer to the people of Scotland is currently deprecated by the Scottish.
• (brand of tape): This may be a trademark.

Synonyms

• (people of Scotland): Scots, Scottish
• (whisky): malt, malt whiskey, malt whisky, Scotch whiskey, Scotch whisky
• (tape): adhesive tape, Scotch tape, Sellotape (a different brand), sticky tape

Proper noun

Scotch

1. The Scottish dialect of English.

   I couldn't understand a word he was saying: he was speaking Scotch.

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

   Karpov played the Scotch against Anand.

Synonyms

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

Adjective

Scotch (not comparable)

1. Of or from Scotland.

Synonyms

• Scottish
• Scots

Notes

• The Scottish dislike the term Scotch and consider it offensive. The more appropriate adjectives are Scottish or Scots.

Derived terms

Related terms

Scotch barley Scotch broth Scotch cap Scotch egg Scotch fillet Scotch fir

Scotch Game Scotch mist Scotch tape Scotch terrier Scotch whiskey Scotch whisky

Thesaurus 1

canny, careful, chary, cheeseparing, conserving, economic, economical, economizing, forehanded, frugal, labor-saving, money-saving, parsimonious, penny-wise, provident, prudent, prudential, saving, scrimping, skimping, spare, sparing, thrifty, time-saving, unwasteful, wary

Thesaurus 2

Vandyke, abrade, arrest, baffle, balk, bark, bearing rein, birthmark, bit, blast, blaze, blaze a trail, blemish, bloody, blotch, bottle up, brake, brand, brave, break, burn, caste mark, chafe, chain, chalk, chalk up, challenge, check, check off, checkmark, checkmate, checkrein, chip, chock, chop, cicatrix, cicatrize, circumvent, claw, cleft, clog, confound, confront, contravene, counter, counteract, countercheck, countermand, counterwork, crack, craze, crena, crenellate, crenulate, crimp, cross, curb, curb bit, cut, dam up, damp, dampen, damper, dapple, dash, defeat, define, defy, delay, delimit, demarcate, depression, destroy, detain, discolor, discoloration, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, dish, disrupt, doorstop, dot, drag, drag sail, drift anchor, drift sail, drogue, earmark, elude, engrave, engraving, fetter, fleck, flick, flummox, foil, fracture, fray, frazzle, freckle, fret, frustrate, gall, gash, graving, hack, hatch, hinder, hold back, hold in check, hold up, holdback, hurt, impede, impress, imprint, incise, incision, indent, indentation, inhibit, injure, intercept, interfere, intermeddle, interrupt, intervene, jag, jog, joggle, jot, keep back, keep in check, kerf, knock the chocks, knurl, lacerate, lentigo, line, machicolate, macula, maim, make a mark, make mincemeat of, mark, mark off, mark out, marking, martingale, maul, meddle, mill, mole, mottle, mutilate, nevus, nick, nock, nonplus, notch, oppose, patch, pelham, pencil, pepper, perplex, picot, pierce, pink, point, polka dot, prick, print, punch, punctuate, puncture, remora, rend, repress, resist, restrain, retard, riddle, rip, ruin, run, rupture, sabotage, savage, scald, scallop, scar, scarification, scarify, scorch, score, scrape, scratch, scratching, scuff, sea anchor, seal, seam, serrate, set back, shackle, skin, slacken, slash, slit, snaffle, snub, speck, speckle, spike, splash, splotch, spoil, spoke, spot, sprain, stab, stain, stamp, stay, stick, stigma, stigmatize, stonewall, stop, strain, strawberry mark, streak, striate, stripe, stump, suppress, tattoo, tattoo mark, tear, thwart, tick, tick off, tittle, tooth, trace, trammel, traumatize, underline, underscore, upset, watermark, wound, wrench

Etymology

Contraction of Scottish.

The tape brand is supposedly after its cheapness (as the Scottish were stereotyped as cheap).

The chess opening is supposedly after its having been played in a correspondence game between Edinburgh, Scotland, and London, England.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /skatʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɒtʃ

Translations

Noun

people of Scotland

Greek: Σκοτσέζοι (el) (Skotsézoi) m. pl.

uncountable: whisky made in Scotland

French: scotch (fr) m.

any variety of Scotch whisky

Armenian: սկոտչ (hy) (skotč)

glass of Scotch whisky

Proper noun

dialect

Greek: σκοτσέζικα (el) (skotsézika) n. pl.