note

pronunciation

How to pronounce note in British English: UK [nəʊt] word uk audio image

How to pronounce note in American English: US [noʊt] word us audio image

Noun:

a short personal letter
a brief written record
a characteristic emotional quality
a piece of paper money (especially one issued by a central bank)
a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound
a comment or instruction (usually added)
high status importance owing to marked superiority
a tone of voice that shows what the speaker is feeling
a promise to pay a specified amount on demand or at a certain time
Verb:

make mention of
notice or perceive
observe with care or pay close attention to
make a written note of

Word Origin

note: note: [13] Latin nota had a remarkably wide range of meanings. Its original sense was ‘sign, mark’, but already in classical times it had broadened out semantically to include ‘alphabetical character’, ‘shorthand sign’, ‘brief letter’, ‘musical note’, and ‘characteristic quality’. Many of these followed it via Old French note into English, where they were supplemented by ‘distinction, reputation’, perhaps inspired by the derived adjective notable [14]. From the same source came notary [14], etymologically a ‘shorthand-writer’.

note (v.): c. 1200, "observe, take mental note of, mark carefully," from Old French noter "indicate, designate; take note of, write down," from Latin notare "to mark, to note, to make a note," from nota "mark, sign, note, character, letter" (see note (n.)). Meaning "to set in writing" is from early 14c. Related: Noted; noting.

note (n.): c. 1300, "a song, music, instrumental music; a musical note," from Latin nota "letter, character, note," originally "a mark, sign, means of recognition," which is perhaps related to notus, past participle of noscere (Old Latin *gnoscere) "to know" (see know). Meaning "notice, attention, reputation" is early 14c. Meaning "brief writing" is from 1540s.

vt.

vt.