etch
Americanverb (used with object)
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etches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
etched,
past participle, past
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etching
present participle
-
to cut, bite, or corrode with an acid or the like; engrave with an acid or the like, as to form a design in furrows that when charged with ink will give an impression on paper.
-
to produce (a design, image, etc.) by this method, as on copper or glass.
-
to outline clearly or sharply; delineate, as a person's features or character.
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to fix permanently in or implant firmly on the mind; root in the memory.
Our last conversation is etched in my memory.
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Geology. to cut (a feature) into the surface of the earth by means of erosion.
A deep canyon was etched into the land by the river's rushing waters.
verb (used without object)
-
etches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
etched,
past participle, past
-
etching
present participle
noun
verb
-
(tr) to wear away the surface of (a metal, glass, etc) by chemical action, esp the action of an acid
-
to cut or corrode (a design, decoration, etc) on (a metal or other plate to be used for printing) by using the action of acid on parts not covered by wax or other acid-resistant coating
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(tr) to cut with or as if with a sharp implement
he etched his name on the table
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(tr; usually passive) to imprint vividly
the event was etched on her memory
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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etchsimple
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etchessimple
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have etchedperfect
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has etchedperfect
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am etchingprogressive
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are etchingprogressive
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is etchingprogressive
-
have been etchingperfect progressive
-
has been etchingperfect progressive
Past
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etchedsimple
-
had etchedperfect
-
was etchingprogressive
-
were etchingprogressive
-
had been etchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of etch
1625–35; < Dutch etsen < German ätzen to etch, originally cause to eat; cognate with Old English ettan to graze; akin to eat
Explanation
If you etch something you are cutting into it. You can etch "I ♥ U" into a tree trunk with a pocket knife or etch your initials in your desk with a key (if the teacher's not looking). However and whatever you etch, it is generally considered a deep and lasting mark. The figurative use of etch is just as common as its literal sense. A particularly powerful memory, image or emotion is said to "etch itself" into your mind, meaning, like that piece of graffiti you etched into the tree trunk, it won't be likely to be erased anytime soon. Incise and carve are often interchangeable with etch.
Vocabulary lists containing etch
Holes
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The Poet X
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The Wild Robot
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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:
The company will etch members’ tie-club number on the back of the barrel along with their name or call sign and ejection date.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
And if it does end up being blocked by the courts, he still managed to etch out a win.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
These systems can etch miniscule circuits onto silicon to create microchips that power AI as well as all sorts of everyday electronics.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
And even if they are not successful in lifting the World Cup, they can etch their name in history by scoring the most goals in the competition.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
She also learned how to etch her plates, adding delicacy to her designs.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
A weekend the Mercedes driver etches his name into the history books as the youngest driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
On the wafer’s surface, a chemical substrate called a photoresist reacts to the light, and etches the stencil pattern into the silicon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
It is called Murakami's reagent, which etches away carbon residue and changes the colour of steel in knife making, for example.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 16, 2024
Bajani etches an impressionistic portrait of a young man — like the foreign city outside his window — trapped in a shadow land between past and present.
From New York Times ● Mar. 23, 2021
A frown etches at the corners of his mouth.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
A date etched in the memories of AFC Wimbledon fans after their side won promotion to League One by beating Walsall at Wembley in the play-off final.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The herky-jerky, unceasing Children of the Hydra’s Teeth are all memorable menace, their details etched deep into the film stock by the punishing midday sun of the Mediterranean.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Farther downstream, the devastation was etched into the shattered landscape of Devighat.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The eerie mood is accentuated by an introductory film projected on the distant stone and a twangy voice intoning excerpts from the Lincoln speeches etched in the atrium above ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
My heart is already heavy, thinking about the letter I discovered and the sadness etched in its words.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
The event includes Woman with an Arm Tattoo, an etching depicting Sue Tilley, and runs until 13 September.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
These include antitheft devices, paint protection coatings, etching the vehicle’s identification number into the windows or other parts and accessories such as door-edge guards and floor mats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
The venture would also presumably need equipment for etching and deposition, which are manufacturing and packaging processes.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026
“By no means are we etching anything in stone, but putting a framework out there to guide the community,” said Jerry Chow, IBM’s chief technology officer of quantum-centric computing.
From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026
Like an etching in the air that slowly filled with beauty, Sarai was gathered out of nothingness and bound back into being.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
