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

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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

For this one, a hot pink liner like the Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in (Pop)ular 49 was etched along his lash lines. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "Monsta X's 9 Most Daring Eye Makeup Looks From the "Shoot Out" Music Video," 22 Oct. 2018 It has been etched with a matte finish, leaving the top portion glossy to maintain that classic Pixel look. — Dieter Bohn, The Verge, "Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL review: the best camera gets a better phone," 15 Oct. 2018 The seedlings struggled for years to take root, but 50-odd years later, the effect is impressive: a full map of Italy, including Sardinia and Sicily, is etched with trees on the hillside. — Ken Jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, "This Italian Pine Forest Is Shaped Exactly Like...Italy," 1 Oct. 2018 All of the pieces are etched with a fine crosshatch pattern. — Joan Juliet Buck, ELLE Decor, "The Greatness of Milan Through the Lens of Bottega Veneta," 29 Aug. 2018 After finishing runners-up in both 1974 and '78, the 'Total Football' side that had been etched into the ethos of Dutch football for many years following, was unceremoniously ditched in 2010 in the hope of finally ending their hoodoo. — SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 4 Days to Go - When Oranje Ditched Total Football in 2010 to Near-Perfection," 10 June 2018 Some things that are etched in my memory are the workouts in the off-season during our younger years. — Clarence E. Hill Jr., star-telegram, "In emotional letter, Tony Romo calls Jason Witten ‘the best he’s ever played with’ | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 8 May 2018 The rainbow hues continued into the bottom of her dress, with layers of the silver ensemble also featuring edging etched in shades of red, orange, and yellow. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Kiernan Shipka Wore Berry Red Lipstick," 8 Oct. 2018 The image of Hilinski being carried off the field after the overtime victory is etched in the memories of Washington State fans. — Nicholas K. Geranios, The Seattle Times, "Tyler Hilinski’s father notes ‘how great the Cougar family’ has been," 27 Aug. 2018

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.