etch

1 of 2

verb

ˈech 

etched; etching; etches

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

etcher noun

etch

2 of 2

noun

1

: the action or effect of etching a surface

2

: a chemical agent used in etching

Synonyms of etch

Verb

• engrave
• inscribe
• carve
• sculpt
• grave
• trace

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

February 22, 1980, is a day forever etched in history. —Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026

The idea here was that this material remains stable across conditions over extended periods, so the code etched onto it would be repeatedly readable. —Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 20 Feb. 2026

Noun

Ichor Holdings — Shares soared 37% to a 52-week high after the maker of semiconductor equipment parts said strong demand for etch and deposition intensity services fueled a fourth-quarter earnings beat. —Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026

Its range of offerings includes deposition, etch, cleaning, inspection, ion implantation, and advanced packaging. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1634, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for etch

• fetch
• fletch
• ketch
• sketch
• stretch
• vetch
• wretch

Kids Definition

etch

verb

ˈech

1

a

: to produce (as a pattern or design) on a hard material by lines eaten into the material's surface (as by acid or laser beam)

b

: to produce a pattern or design on by such etching

etched glass

an etched silicon chip

2

: to outline or impress clearly

migrating ducks etched against the sky

etcher noun