I. notch 1 /nɒtʃ $ nɑːtʃ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Probably from an otch , mistaken for a notch ; from early French oche 'V-shaped cut' ]
1 . a level on a scale that measures something, for example quality or achievement:
Her new book is several notches above anything else she has written.
Jackson raised his voice by a notch.
The Spartans turned it up a notch in the second half.
2 . a V-shaped cut or hole in a surface or edge:
Cut a notch near one end of the stick.
3 . American English a passage between two mountains or hills
⇨ ↑ top-notch
II. notch 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . to cut a V-shaped mark into something, especially as a way of showing the number of times something has been done
2 . American English to notch something up
notch something ↔ up phrasal verb
to achieve something, especially a victory or a particular total or score:
The Houston Astros have notched up another win.