note

A symbol or annotation.

Noun

  1. A symbol or annotation.
    • He noted the fact that the kidnapper had left a ransom note.

    1. A mark or token by which a thing may be known; a visible sign; a character; a distinctive mark or feature; a characteristic quality.

      • As therefore they that are of the Myſticall Body of Chriſt, haue thoſe inward Graces and Vertues, whereby they differ from all others which are not of the ſame Body ; againe, whoſoeuer appertaine to the Viſible Body of...
      • She [the Anglican church] has the Note of possession, the Note of freedom from party-titles ; the Note of life, a tough life and a vigorous ; she has ancient descent, unbroken continuance, agreement in doctrine with the...
      • What a note of youth, of imagination, of impulsive eagerness, there was through it all ! - 1888, Mary Augusta Ward, Robert Elsmere, volume I, London: Macmillan and Co., page 217:

    2. A mark, or sign, made to call attention, to point out something to notice, or the like; a sign, or token, proving or giving evidence.

    3. A brief remark; a marginal comment or explanation; hence, an annotation on a text or author; a comment; a critical, explanatory, or illustrative observation.

  2. A written or printed communication or commitment.
    • I left him a note to remind him to take out the trash.

    1. A brief piece of writing intended to assist the memory; a memorandum; a minute.

    2. A short informal letter; a billet.

      • Garson: Drop me a note sometime. I'd love to hear how we're doing. - 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Ark Hyperion:

    3. (academic) An academic treatise (often without regard to length); a treatment; a discussion paper; (loosely) any contribution to an academic discourse.

    4. A diplomatic missive or written communication.

    5. (finance) A written or printed paper (or digital equivalent) acknowledging a debt, and promising payment.

      • Near-synonyms: draft, bond, paper, commercial paper, IOU, letter of credit
      • a promissory note
      • a note of hand

      Synonyms: draft bond paper commercial paper IOU letter of credit

    6. (obsolete) A list of items or of charges; an account.

      • Heere is now the Smithes note, for Shooing, / And Plough-Irons. - c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories,...

    7. A piece of paper or polymer money; a banknote.

      • I didn't have any coins to pay with, so I used a note.

      Synonyms: bill

    8. (extension) A small size of paper used for writing letters or notes.

  3. A sound.

    1. A character, variously formed, to indicate the length of a tone, and variously placed upon the staff to indicate its pitch.

    2. A musical sound; a tone; an utterance; a tune; a beat of a drum.

      • Then feed on thoughts, that voluntarie move / Harmonious numbers ; as the wakeful Bird / Sings darkling, and in ſhadieſt Covert hid / Tunes her nocturnal Note. - 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […],...
      • Judge Short had gone to town, and Farrar was off for a three days' cruise up the lake. I was bitterly regretting I had not gone with him when the distant notes of a coach horn reached my ear, and I descried a...
      • As they turned into Hertford Street they startled a robin from the poet's head on a barren fountain, and he fled away with a cameo note. - 1922, Michael Arlen, “Ep./4/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:

    3. (by extension) A key of the piano or organ.

    4. (by extension) A call or song of a bird.

      • We heard the peculiar note of the woodcock, which resembles the repeated croaking of the frog, followed by a sharp hissing sound, somewhat like the noisy chirping of the wagtail[.] - 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen,...

    5. (rhythm games) An indication which players have to click, type, hit, tap or do other actions if it appears

  4. An element of a scent, fragrance, or perfume, especially as a descriptor or category.
  5. Observation; notice; heed.
    • Go in Nerriſſa, / Giue order to my ſeruants, that they take / No note at all of our being abſent hence, / Nor you Lorenzo, Ieſſica nor you. - c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”,...
    • So it is true, that ſmall matters win great commendation, becauſe they are continually in uſe, and in note ; whereas the occaſion of any great virtue cometh but on feſtivals. - 1625, Francis Bacon, “Of ceremonies and...
  6. Reputation; distinction.
    • a poet of note
  7. A critical comment.
    • Your performance was fantastic! I have just one note: you were a little flat in bars 35 and 36.
  8. Notification; information; intelligence.
  9. Mark of disgrace.
    • That my poſteritie ſham’d with the note / Shall curſe my bones, and hold it for no ſinne, / To wiſh that I their father had not beene. - 1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for...
    • Once more, the more to aggrauate the note, With a foule Traitors name ſtuffe I thy throte, And wiſh (ſo pleaſe my Soueraigne) ere I moue, What my tong ſpeaks, my right drawn ſword may proue - 1595 December 9 (first...

Origin

From Middle English note, from Old English not, nōt (“note, mark, sign”) and Old French note (“letter, note”), both from Latin nota (“mark, sign, remark, note”).

Forms

notes

Synonyms

blemish blot brand reproach stain stigma taint attention mark

Derived

128th note 16th note 256th note 32nd note 512th note 64th note 8th note after-note afternote atomic note banana note banknote bank note base note bass note bearer note bent as a nine-bob note big-note black note blue note bread-and-butter note bridge note briefing note brown note

Noun Ireland, Northern England

  1. That which is needed or necessary; business; duty; work.
    • And have thou that for thy note ! - 1838, William Marriott, “The Deluge”, in A Collection of English Miracle-Plays or Mysteries, Basel: Schweighauser & Co, page 11:
    • Tha'll keep me at this noit all day... Om always at this noit. - 1897 May 27, Halifax Courier, quoted in 1903, Joseph Wright, English Dialect Dictionary, volume IV, London: Henry Frowde, page 302
    • Thou canst do thy note; that have I espied. - 1962, Arthur C. Cawley, Everyman, and Medieval Miracle Plays, page 125:
  2. Milk-giving by a cow or sow; (specifically) the period following calving or farrowing, during which a cow or sow is most productive and useful.
    • The supply of horned cattle at this fair was great, but the business done was confined to fleshy barreners of feeding qualities and superior new-calved heifers, and those at early note, with appearance of being useful;...
    • For sale, a Kerry cow, five years old, at her note in May. - 1875, Paper, Belfast:
    • A cow is said to be in note when she is in milk. - 1888, S. O. Addy Gloss, Words Sheffield, page 160:
  3. The milk given by a cow or sow during such period.

Origin

From Middle English note (“use, usefulness, profit”), from Old English notu (“use, enjoyment, advantage, profit, utility”), from Proto-West Germanic *notu, from Proto-Germanic *nutō (“enjoyment, utilisation”), from Proto-Indo-European *newd- (“to acquire, make use of”). Cognate with West Frisian not (“yield, produce, crop”), Dutch genot (“enjoyment, pleasure”), Dutch nut (“usefulness, utility, behoof”), German Nutzen (“benefit, usefulness, utility”), Icelandic not (“use”, noun). Related also to Old English notian (“to enjoy, make use of, employ”), Old English nēotan (“to use, enjoy”), Old High German niozan (“to use, enjoy”) (Modern German genießen (“to enjoy”)), Modern German benutzen (“to use”). Related to nait.

Forms

notes noit noyt not

Derived

notable noteful

Verb

  1. To notice with care; to observe; to remark; to heed.
    • If you look to the left, you can note the old cathedral.
    • Note the difference between progesterone and progrestogen: the former is simply a type of the latter.
    • Note the preſumption of this Scythian ſlaue: I tel thee villaine, thoſe that lead my horſe Haue to their names tytles of dignitie, And dar’ſt thou bluntly cal me Baiazeth? - c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher...
  2. To record in writing; to make a memorandum of.
    • We noted his speech.
  3. To denote; to designate.
    • The modular multiplicative inverse of x may be noted x⁻¹.
  4. To annotate.
  5. To set down in musical characters.
  6. To record on the back of (a bill, draft, etc.) a refusal of acceptance, as the ground of a protest, which is done officially by a notary.
    • By noting the protest, notaries could date certificates when they were received, making it easier to comply with time restrictions associated with protesting. - 2020 October 28, Kimberly Budd for the Supreme Judicial...

Forms

notes noting noted

Related

notable noteless benote

Derived

misnote note down