etch

verb \ ˈech \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Definition of etch

etched; etching; etches

1 a : 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

—

etcher

noun

See etch defined for English-language learners

See etch defined for kids

Examples of etch in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of etch from the Web

With a sweet-swinging senior ready to etch his name in Arrowhead baseball lore, there would be no need for small ball.

— curt hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "On Zak Karrels' dramatic walk-off homer to down Janesville Craig, Arrowhead reaches the state championship game," 13 June 2018
Brokers Tip, ridden by Don Meade, and Head Play, ridden by Herb Fisher, were also trying to etch their names in the history books by winning the 59th Kentucky Derby.

— michael clevenger, The Courier-Journal, "Courier Journal's 2018 Kentucky Derby photo pays homage to Fighting Finish," 6 May 2018
The results of Penn State’s Blue-White games are not etched in stone somewhere on the trail up Mount Nittany.

— joe juliano, Philly.com, "Penn State's Blue-White game a chance to find team's next impact player," 20 Apr. 2018
The winner of the Masters tournament will not etch his name in history, but will also take home a hefty and substantial paycheck.

— scooby axson, SI.com, "How Much Does the Winner of The Masters Make?," 29 Mar. 2018
Whatever answers are ahead, they aren’t etched in the usual downtrodden spin of a low-end team with a high-end draft pick.

— george diaz, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Doug Marrone has no time for sentimental reflection on Jags journey," 27 Mar. 2018
Starting in 1905, surveyors and other workers of the International Boundary Commission trekked into this wilderness to etch into the landscape a brand-new political boundary.

— ned rozell, Anchorage Daily News, "The thin line between Canada and Alaska," 17 Mar. 2018
Photolithography is the process used to etch the patterns that make up chips into a silicon wafer.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "Extreme UV chip defects may force a new approach to processor design," 27 Feb. 2018
But his innate ability to reject at the rim is where Lee etched his name among the nation's best.

— AL.com, "On the verge of setting records, HaHa Lee's shot-blocking prowess began long ago," 25 Jan. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of etch

Dutch etsen, from German ätzen to etch, corrode, from Old High German azzen to feed; akin to Old High German ezzan to eat — more at eat

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1634

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

etch Synonyms

Synonyms

brand, engrave, impress, imprint, infix, ingrain (also engrain);

Near Antonyms

blot out, erase, expunge, obliterate;

fix, set, stamp;

etch

noun

Definition of etch

1 : the action or effect of etching a surface

2 : a chemical agent used in etching

Recent Examples of etch from the Web

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