emboss
Americanverb (used with object)
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embosses,
present (3rd person singular)
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embossed,
past participle, past
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embossing
present participle
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to raise or represent (surface designs) in relief.
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to decorate (a surface) with raised ornament.
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Metalworking. to raise a design on (a blank) with dies of similar pattern, one the negative of the other.
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to cause to bulge out; make protuberant.
verb
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to mould or carve (a decoration or design) on (a surface) so that it is raised above the surface in low relief
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to cause to bulge; make protrude
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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embosssimple
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embossessimple
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have embossedperfect
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has embossedperfect
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am embossingprogressive
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are embossingprogressive
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is embossingprogressive
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have been embossingperfect progressive
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has been embossingperfect progressive
Past
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embossedsimple
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had embossedperfect
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was embossingprogressive
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were embossingprogressive
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had been embossingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of emboss
1350–1400; Middle English embosen < Middle French embocer, equivalent to em- em- 1 + boce boss 2
Explanation
Emboss means to carve with a design. A silver tray might be embossed with your initials and wedding date. You might give your teacher a plaque with "World's Best Teacher" embossed under their name. Embossing and engraving have similar effects––a raised surface. But embossing pushes the paper or metal up, working from behind, while engraving actually cuts into the surface, cutting away a bit of the media as it makes its mark.
Vocabulary lists containing emboss
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Initially a contract manufacturer of shoe parts, Tyca got into the denim game to fulfill a request from Levi’s, using the same machinery to emboss the Levi’s name into thousands of back pockets.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2021
They might as well emboss Bette Midler’s statue now.
From The Guardian ● May 2, 2017
In the real world, opportunities for selling and recruiting dry up very quickly, no matter how many inspirational seminars you attend and business cards you emboss.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2016
"I’ve had people calling from as far away as from England looking for the book early," said Madrie, who will emboss copies of the book so folks will know it was bought in Lee’s hometown.
From Reuters ● Jul. 14, 2015
Blotches and blains must all his flesh emboss.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster
Coca-Cola takes that engraving process a step further with a machine that snaps a photo of the user, then embosses that picture onto the iconic red can of soda.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
In his workshop, Demnig embosses the name and date of birth and circumstances of death by hand.
From Reuters ● May 5, 2023
Noel fixed up the living room with a desk where she keeps her paint and other materials; she embosses and paints aluminum from old beer cans, making sacred hearts, roses and other pop art.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2020
A record-holding winner of six Tony Awards, for both plays and musicals, Ms. McDonald embosses any production in which she appears with a good-value guarantee.
From New York Times ● Aug. 9, 2015
To celebrate the club's 80-year anniversary, the shirt comes with a subtle anniversary logo embossed across the chest.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Scores of cracked, fragile, leather-bound volumes filled with hand-written records, and each embossed with a village name, now line shelves at the Lahore Museum in Pakistan.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
She holds up a sepia photograph in a silver embossed frame: the clairvoyant Isabel Barros Moreira, her mother’s mother, her face placid, with dark hair and dark eyes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
One of the most moving artifacts on display in “John le Carré: Tradecraft,” from the Weston Library here, is a silk-lined, white-hide suitcase from Harrods embossed with the initials OMC.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
Desks were piled high with embossed session manuals, A Beginner’s Guide to Spice Elixirs from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal by Riddhi Parekh; a golden scale; sets of porcelain spoons; and metal tins.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
The presentation is effective in clarifying light’s importance as a religious metaphor in the gold embossing, as well as being an actual material in the chapel where the altar was placed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2024
They were also more interesting to look at than regular cash, often containing beautiful engraving or gold embossing.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2024
On the holster, in blue embossing tape, was an American name and a Colorado address.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 17, 2023
There’s also a creamy French Country line with sweet embossing on the edges.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 19, 2023
Quite a number of inquiries have come to me as to what is "embossing" or "grilling."
From Harper's Round Table, July 16, 1895 by Various
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