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definitions

etching

[ech-ing]
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noun

the act or process of making designs or pictures on a metal plate, glass, etc., by the corrosive action of an acid instead of by a burin.
an impression, as on paper, taken from an etched plate.
the design so produced.
a metal plate bearing such a design.

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RELATED WORDS

engraving, inscription, reproduction, impression, imprint, print, transferring, mezzotint, photoengraving, rotogravure, photogravure

Nearby words

  1. etcetera,
  2. etceteras,
  3. etch,
  4. etchant,
  5. etched in stone,
  6. etching ground,
  7. etd,
  8. eteocles,
  9. eteoclus,
  10. eteocretan

Origin of etching

First recorded in 1625–35; etch + -ing1

etch

[ech]

verb (used with object)

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.
to fix permanently in or implant firmly on the mind; root in the memory: Our last conversation is etched in my memory.
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)

to practice the art of etching.

noun

Printing. an acid used for etching.

Origin of etch

1625–35; < Dutch etsen < German ätzen to etch, orig. cause to eat; cognate with Old English ettan to graze; akin to eat
Related formsetch·er, nounun·etched, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for etching

British Dictionary definitions for etching

etching

noun

the art, act, or process of preparing etched surfaces or of printing designs from them
an etched plate
an impression made from an etched plate

etch

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
(tr) to cut with or as if with a sharp implementhe etched his name on the table
(tr; usually passive) to imprint vividlythe event was etched on her memory
Derived Formsetcher, noun

Word Origin for etch

C17: from Dutch etsen, from Old High German azzen to feed, bite
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for etching
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for etching

etching

An artistic print made from a plate on which the artist has etched a design with acid. (Compare engraving.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.