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   scotch

   /skɒtʃ/

   verb

   • 1. decisively put an end to: "a spokesman has scotched the rumours"
   • ▪ render (something regarded as dangerous) temporarily harmless: archaic "feudal power in France was scotched, though far from killed"
   • 2. wedge (someone or something) somewhere: "he soon scotched himself against a wall"
   • ▪ prevent (a wheel or other rolling object) from moving or slipping by placing a wedge underneath: archaic "when Lucille reached the depot, the coachman shouted ‘Scotch the wheels!’"

   noun

   • 1. a wedge placed under a wheel or other rolling object to prevent it moving or slipping. archaic

   Word Origin early 17th century (as a noun): of unknown origin; perhaps related to skate1. The sense ‘render temporarily harmless’ is based on an emendation of Shakespeare's Macbeth iii. ii. 13 as ‘We have scotch'd the snake, not kill'd it’, originally understood as a use of scotch2; the sense ‘put an end to’ (early 19th century) results from the influence on this of the notion of wedging or blocking something so as to render it inoperative.

   Scrabble Points: 13

   • S

     1

   • C

     3

   • O

     1

   • T

     1

   • C

     3

   • H

     4

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