inlay

[ verb in-ley, in-ley; noun in-ley ]

See synonyms for: inlay inlaid on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),in·laid, in·lay·ing.

to decorate (an object) with layers of fine materials set in its surface: to inlay a chest with lighter wood.
to insert or apply (layers of fine materials) in the surface of an object: to inlay marble in a tabletop.

Horticulture. to place (a fitted scion) into a prepared stock, as in a method of grafting.

noun

inlaid work.
a layer of fine material inserted in something else, especially for ornament.

a design or decoration made by inlaying.
Dentistry. a filling of metal, porcelain, or the like, that is first shaped to fit a cavity and then cemented into it.
Horticulture. inlay graft.
the act or process of inlaying.

Origin of inlay

First recorded in 1590–1600; in-¹ + lay¹

Other words from inlay

inlayer, noun

Words Nearby inlay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use inlay in a sentence

Burrs, overhangs, and cracks will make it hard to fit into your inlay hole later.
2 ways to rescue cracked wooden furniture | Jean Levasseur | February 20, 2022 | Popular-Science
These invaluable tools create super-accurate cut lines, and provide a grove for your chisels to rest in when you hog out the inlay wood later.
2 ways to rescue cracked wooden furniture | Jean Levasseur | February 20, 2022 | Popular-Science
Not only were the Britons expert in ordinary metal-work but they are believed to have invented the art of enamelled-inlay.
Archaic England | Harold Bayley
With illustrations and inlay cover picture by Harrison Fisher.
The Rose of Old St. Louis | Mary Dillon
This is actually done with the working drawing by the inlay cutter.
Line and Form (1900) | Walter Crane

Wheel-lock of blued steel, with gold and silver inlay, and wheel-guard of tracery in thin gold.
Armour in England | J. Starkie Gardner
The whole of the front lacks repose, a condition which is intensified by the black and white inlay of the flat surfaces.
Cathedral Cities of Italy | William Wiehe Collins

British Dictionary definitions for inlay

inlay

verb(ɪnˈleɪ) -lays, -laying or -laid (tr)

to decorate (an article, esp of furniture, or a surface) by inserting pieces of wood, ivory, etc, into prepared slots in the surface

noun(ˈɪnˌleɪ)

dentistry a filling, made of gold, porcelain, etc, inserted into a cavity and held in position by cement
decoration made by inlaying

an inlaid article, surface, etc

Derived forms of inlay

inlayer, noun

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

Browse