etch

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verb \ ˈech \

Definition of etch

transitive verb

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

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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

These huge, $100 million systems essentially etch tiny transistor patterns onto silicon at nanometer scale.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "ASML's Cymer Technologies hits milestones to deliver smaller, faster chips," 29 Aug. 2017
The actresses Fabienne Babe, Marie-France, Lilianne Montevecchi, Nathalie Richard, and Laetitia Dosch (several André Téchiné alumnae) provide fascinating characterizations that precisely etch class distinctions.

— armond white, National Review, "Class Consciousness, French- and American-Style," 18 Aug. 2017
While languishing inside a grim Syrian prison, 82 inmates etched their names onto scraps of cloth using a chicken bone, rust, and their own blood.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Cloth Smuggled Out of Syrian Prison Heads to U.S. Holocaust Museum," 16 Aug. 2017
Presenting, Bella's newest tattoo: a delicate rosebud etched just above her left elbow.

— lindsay schallon, Glamour, "Bella Hadid Got the Itty-Bittiest Tattoo of a Rose on Her Arm," 31 July 2017
There’s a guardian angel, an Italian cornicello (for luck), and my favorite: a tiny amulet cut in the shape of our island, with its bumps and bays, the words Puerto Rico etched in the gleam for those who don’t know how to read it otherwise.

— carina del valle schorske, The Cut, "Gold, History, and My Body," 25 July 2017
Already, players from the first two iterations of FC Cincinnati have stepped forward to etch their names into early chapters of club history.

— patrick brennan and charlie hatch, Cincinnati.com, "Debate: The best single-game performance in FC Cincy history," 6 July 2017
From there, the nail artist starts to delicately draw the stars by etching triangles and then filling them in — one by one — onto each nail with a denim blue shade by Sally Hansen, called I Heart Nail Striper in Blue.

— sarah kinonen, Allure, "4th of July Nail Art to Try This Holiday Weekend," 3 July 2017
People waited patiently to go in: an elderly lady who struggled to walk along the graduation walk, where seniors have bricks etched with their name; crowds of young people; and boys too young to knot their own ties.

— susan svrluga, chicagotribune.com, "'Let's bring it in': Otto Warmbier's family and friends celebrate his life at memorial," 22 June 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.

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

See Words from the same year

etch Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

carve, chisel, sculpt, sculpture; chase, groove, indent, notch; score, trace; affix, impress

Near Antonyms

blot out, erase, expunge, obliterate

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