Note, n. [F. note, L.
nota; akin to noscere, notum, to know. See
Know.] 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.
Whosoever appertain to the visible body of the church,
they have also the notes of external profession.
Hooker.
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.
J. H. Newman.
What a note of youth, of imagination, of
impulsive eagerness, there was through it all !
Mrs.
Humphry Ward.
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.
The best writers have been perplexed with
notes, and obscured with illustrations.
Felton.
4. A brief writing intended to assist the
memory; a memorandum; a minute.
5. pl. Hence, a writing intended to be
used in speaking; memoranda to assist a speaker, being either a
synopsis, or the full text of what is to be said; as, to preach from
notes; also, a reporter's memoranda; the original report of a
speech or of proceedings.
6. A short informal letter; a
billet.
7. A diplomatic missive or written
communication.
8. A written or printed paper acknowledging a
debt, and promising payment; as, a promissory note; a
note of hand; a negotiable note.
9. A list of items or of charges; an
account. [Obs.]
Here is now the smith's note for
shoeing.
Shak.
10. (Mus.) (a) A
character, variously formed, to indicate the length of a tone, and
variously placed upon the staff to indicate its pitch. Hence:
(b) A musical sound; a tone; an utterance; a
tune. (c) A key of the piano or
organ.
The wakeful bird . . . tunes her nocturnal
note.
Milton.
That note of revolt against the eighteenth
century, which we detect in Goethe, was struck by
Winckelmann.
W. Pater.
11. Observation; notice; heed.
Give orders to my servants that they take
No note at all of our being absent hence.
Shak.
12. Notification; information;
intelligence. [Obs.]
The king . . . shall have note of
this.
Shak.
13. State of being under observation.
[Obs.]
Small matters . . . continually in use and in
note.
Bacon.
14. Reputation; distinction; as, a poet of
note.
There was scarce a family of note which had not
poured out its blood on the field or the scaffold.
Prescott.
15. Stigma; brand; reproach. [Obs.]
Shak.
Note of hand, a promissory note.
Note, n. [AS. notu use, profit.]
Need; needful business. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Note, n. Nut. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Note (?). [AS. nāt; ne not +
wāt wot. See Not, and Wot.] Know not;
knows not. [Obs.]
Note (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Noted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Noting.] [F. noter, L. notare, fr. nota.
See Note, n.]
1. To notice with care; to observe; to
remark; to heed; to attend to. Pope.
No more of that; I have noted it
well.
Shak.
2. To record in writing; to make a memorandum
of.
Every unguarded word . . . was noted
down.
Maccaulay.
3. To charge, as with crime (with of
or for before the thing charged); to brand. [Obs.]
They were both noted of
incontinency.
Dryden.
4. To denote; to designate.
Johnson.
5. To annotate. [R.] W. H.
Dixon.
6. To set down in musical
characters.
To note a bill or draft,
to record on the back of it a refusal of acceptance, as the
ground of a protest, which is done officially by a notary.
Note (?), v. t. [AS.
hnītan to strike against, imp. hnāt.]
To butt; to push with the horns. [Prov. Eng.]