notch. 1  an angular or V -shaped cut, indentation, or slit in an object, surface, or edge. 2  a cut or nick made in a stick or other object for record, as in keeping a tally. 3  New England and Upstate New York. 4  Informal. a step, degree, or grade: This camera is a notch better than the other. Metallurgy. a taphole in a blast furnace: iron notch; cinder notch. to cut or make a notch in. to record by notches: He notched each kill on the stick. to score, as in a game: He notched another win. notch up / down, to move up or down or increase or decrease by notches or degrees: The temperature has notched up another degree.