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scotch
scotch decisively put an end to; render (something regarded as dangerous) temporarily harmless. The sense ‘render temporarily harmless’ is based on an emendation of Shakespeare's Macbeth as ‘We have scotch'd the snake, not kill'd it’, originally understood as a use of the homonym scotch with the meaning ‘cut or score the skin of’.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "scotch." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "scotch." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-scotch.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "scotch." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-scotch.html |
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scotch
scotch / skäch/ • v. [tr.] decisively put an end to: a spokesman has scotched the rumors. scotch2 • v. [tr.] archaic cut or score the skin or surface of. • n. archaic a cut or score in skin or another surface. |
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Cite this article
"scotch." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "scotch." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-scotch005.html "scotch." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-scotch005.html |
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Scotch
Scotch / skäch/ • adj. old-fashioned term for Scottish. • n. 1. short for Scotch whisky. 2. [as pl. n.] (the Scotch) dated the people of Scotland. 3. dated the form of English spoken in Scotland. |
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Cite this article
"Scotch." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Scotch." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-scotch.html "Scotch." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-scotch.html |
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scotch
scotch1 make an incision in XV; (from Theobald's emendation of scorch in Sh. ‘Macbeth’ III iv 13) injure or obstruct so as to render harmless for a time XVIII. of unkn. orig.
Hence sb. incision XV; so in HOPSCOTCH. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "scotch." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "scotch." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-scotch.html T. F. HOAD. "scotch." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-scotch.html |
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scotch
scotch2 block, etc. placed under a circular object to prevent slipping. XVII. occas. skatch, which may indicate identity with scatch (XVI) stilt — OF. escache.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "scotch." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "scotch." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-scotch1.html T. F. HOAD. "scotch." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-scotch1.html |
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scotch
scotch
•blotch, botch, crotch, notch, outwatch, scotch, splotch, swatch, topnotch, watch
•hopscotch • butterscotch
•hotchpotch • wristwatch • skywatch
•fobwatch • dogwatch • stopwatch
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Cite this article
"scotch." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "scotch." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-scotch.html "scotch." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-scotch.html |
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