inlay

American  

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

verb (used with object)

inlaid, inlaying

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

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

• inlayer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of inlay

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

Example Sentences

Inlay, in-lā′, v.t. to ornament by laying in or inserting pieces of metal, ivory, &c.—pa.p.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

Inlay was often imitated; the elaborate marquetry cabinets in Sta.

From Arts and Crafts in the Middle Ages A Description of Mediaeval Workmanship in Several of the Departments of Applied Art, Together with Some Account of Special Artisans in the Early Renaissance by Addison, Julia de Wolf Gibbs

A step beyond the process of onlaying is Inlay, where one material is not laid on to the other, but into it, both being perhaps backed by a common material.

From Art in Needlework A Book about Embroidery by Buckle, Mary

Detail of Glass Inlay from the Hall of the Ambassadors   LXXII.

From An Architect's Note-Book in Spain principally illustrating the domestic architecture of that country. by Wyatt, Matthew Digby

Inlay and marquetry came to be generously used, but there had been many cabinets of Dutch marquetry brought to England even before the time of William and Mary.

From Furnishing the Home of Good Taste A Brief Sketch of the Period Styles in Interior Decoration with Suggestions as to Their Employment in the Homes of Today by Throop, Lucy Abbot

Related Words

• decorate