etching

noun

etch·​ing ˈe-chiŋ 

1

a

: the action or process of etching

b

: the art of producing pictures or designs by printing from an etched metal plate

2

a

: an etched design

b

: an impression from an etched plate

Examples of etching in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the acid that helps oranges and other citrus cut through mineral deposits in showers and break down grease on baking pans can also be harmful to some household surfaces, causing etching, stripping, pitting, or staining. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2025

Little detail is known about exactly what each of the underground caverns held or when, but etchings by 18th-century Italian classical archaeologist and artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi show it as a lively part of the city center. —Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 23 July 2025

Enhancements were implemented in the processes of spraying, etching, tensioning and assembly to ensure peak performance. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

For example, a process called salt etching can recover over 99% of silver and 98% of silicon, at purity levels that are appropriate for high-end reuse, potentially even in new solar panels, without using toxic acids. —Anurag Srivastava, The Conversation, 10 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing etching

• freeze-etching

Rhymes for etching

• fetching
• retching
• sketching
• stretching

Kids Definition

etching

noun

etch·​ing ˈech-iŋ 

1

a

: the act or process of etching a hard material

b

: the art of printing from an etched metal plate

2

a

: a product of etching

b

: a print made from an etched metal plate