etch

verb

\ ˈech

etched; etching; etches

Definition of etch

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : to produce (something, such as a pattern or design) on a hard material by eating into the material's surface (as by acid or laser beam)

b : to subject to such etching

2 : to delineate or impress clearly scenes etched in our minds pain was etched on his features

intransitive verb

: to practice etching

etch

noun

Definition of etch (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the action or effect of etching a surface

2 : a chemical agent used in etching

Other Words from etch Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about etch

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for etch

Synonyms: Verb

engrave, grave, incise, inscribe, insculp [archaic]

Examples of etch in a Sentence

Verb

etched an identification number on the back of the television glass that has been etched with an identification number

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Skip the messy goop on the inside of your pumpkin by simply etching your design. — Woman's Day Staff, Woman's Day, "Groovy Gourds," 9 Sep. 2019 Players around the league saluted Skaggs by etching his initials and jersey number onto their hats and into the dirt on mounds. — Los Angeles Times, "Tyler Skaggs’ autopsy: Fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol led to death by choking on vomit," 30 Aug. 2019 This is how transistors are etched onto the surface of the silicon wafer. — Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, "This Is the World's Largest Computer Chip," 27 Aug. 2019 Each tile has a few 1s and 0s etched onto it—000, 010, 101 and so on. — Wired, "Quantum Computers Could Be True Randomness Generators," 23 June 2019 Lamb observed from first base, worry etched on his face, on one knee. — Los Angeles Times, "Joc Pederson’s 11th-inning home run lifts Dodgers over Diamondbacks," 1 Sep. 2019 Last year, Kocharov got his name etched on the Stanley Cup when the Capitals took home the title. — Jeremy Cluff, azcentral, "Washington Capitals' Sergey Kocharov wins $1 million Powerball in Virginia," 13 Aug. 2019 For the engagement session, the duo had a blast posing throughout the store, hopping on shopping carts, and even kissing behind a heart etched on the foggy door in the freezer section. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "Florida Publix Associates Who Fell in Love at Their Store Take Engagement Photos at Work," 7 Aug. 2019 No longer in the shadows of Irish golf, Shane Lowry now has his name etched on the base of the silver claret jug. — Doug Ferguson, orlandosentinel.com, "Out of the shadows of Irish golf, Shane Lowry a major champion," 22 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

From the clearing where we’d laid out our tents and camp pads, the opposite bank of the river was barely perceptible except for a faint Etch-a-Sketch panorama of sandstone buttes and towers. — Jim Buchta, chicagotribune.com, "Call of the Colorado River leads to a family pilgrimage," 11 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'etch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.