inlay

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

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR inlay 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

Related formsin·lay·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for inlay

decorate, trim, veneer, inset, tessellate

Examples from the Web for inlay

Historical Examples of inlay

With illustrations and inlay cover picture by Harrison Fisher.
The Rose of Old St. Louis
Mary Dillon
Closely related to patchwork, but not as commonly used, is “inlay.”
Quilts
Marie D. Webster
Further, they often patch together pieces of this kind of inlay.
Art in Needlework
Lewis F. Day
This is actually done with the working drawing by the inlay cutter.
Line and Form (1900)
Walter Crane
With illustrations in colors, and inlay cover by George Wright.
Fair Margaret
Francis Marion Crawford

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 Formsinlayer, 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

Word Origin and History for inlay

1590s (v.), 1650s (n.), from in + lay. Related: Inlaid.

inlay in Medicine

inlay

[ĭn′lā′, ĭn-lā′]

n.

A solid filling, as of gold or porcelain, fitted to a cavity in a tooth and cemented into place.

A graft of bone, skin, or other tissue.

An orthomechanical device inserted into a shoe.