inlay

American  

[in-ley, in-ley, in-ley] / ˈɪnˌleɪ, ˌɪnˈleɪ, ˈɪnˌleɪ /

verb (used with object)

inlays, present (3rd person singular) inlaid, past participle, past inlaying present participle

1. to decorate (an object) with layers of fine materials set in its surface.

   to inlay a chest with lighter wood.

2. to insert or apply (layers of fine materials) in the surface of an object.

   to inlay marble in a tabletop.

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

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noun

inlays plural

1. inlaid work.

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

3. a design or decoration made by inlaying.

4. Dentistry. a filling of metal, porcelain, or the like, that is first shaped to fit a cavity and then cemented into it.

5. Horticulture. inlay graft.

6. the act or process of inlaying.

inlay British  

verb

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

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noun

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

2. decoration made by inlaying

3. an inlaid article, surface, etc

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• inlayer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inlays
  plural

Participles

• inlaying
  present
• inlaid
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• inlay
  simple
• inlays
  simple
• have inlaid
  perfect
• has inlaid
  perfect
• am inlaying
  progressive
• are inlaying
  progressive
• is inlaying
  progressive
• have been inlaying
  perfect progressive
• has been inlaying
  perfect progressive

Past

• inlaid
  simple
• had inlaid
  perfect
• was inlaying
  progressive
• were inlaying
  progressive
• had been inlaying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will inlay
  simple
• will have inlaid
  perfect
• will be inlaying
  progressive
• will have been inlaying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of inlay

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

Example Sentences

It features “a brass barrel and decorative lockplate, with an additional flourish of silver-wire inlay in a shell pattern.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

Mostly, the team found pieces of broken pottery, but the excitement at camp was palpable when they unearthed a human skull with jade inlay in the teeth, she recalled.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 29, 2023

If, as the New York Times’ Amanda Hess argues, we live in the “golden age of celebrity branding,” liquor is the filigree on its balustrades, the inlay on its armoires, the leaf on its chandeliers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2023

Her nods to the Navajo culture include a turquoise inlay and a depiction of eagle feathers, which are used to give blessings.

From Washington Times • Mar. 24, 2023

But the inlay work was still delicate and clear, the glaze still fine and pure.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

Related Words

• decorate