etching

[ech-ing]

noun

1. 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.

2. an impression, as on paper, taken from an etched plate.

3. the design so produced.

4. a metal plate bearing such a design.

etching

/ ˈɛtʃɪŋ /

noun

1. the art, act, or process of preparing etched surfaces or of printing designs from them

2. an etched plate

3. an impression made from an etched plate

etching

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of etching¹

First recorded in 1625–35; etch + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The etchings were all created using Blake's own "illuminated printing" technique.

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The social and political turmoil of today resonates in a mammoth, extraordinary show of Francisco de Goya’s celebrated etchings at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With the Dodgers on the verge of etching their legacy with a possible third title in six years, this baby boom of sorts may be in its infancy.

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There’s a stunning group of watercolors, seemingly breathed onto the paper, by Joseph Mallord William Turner, fragile etchings by Whistler and dazzling, light-struck waterside scenes by Sargent.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Cam Schlittler grew up dreaming about one day etching his name into the storied history of baseball’s most famous rivalry.

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Related Words

• engraving 
• inscription 
• reproduction