engraving
Americannoun
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the act or art of a person who or thing that engraves.
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the art of forming designs by cutting, corrosion by acids, a photographic process, etc., on the surface of a metal plate, block of wood, or the like, for or as for the purpose of taking off impressions or prints of the design so formed.
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the design engraved.
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an engraved plate or block.
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an impression or print from this.
noun
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the art of a person who engraves
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a block, plate, or other surface that has been engraved
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a print made from such a surface
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of engraving
Explanation
Engraving is the art or technique of carving designs into a surface. You'll find engraving on stationary, wedding rings, and even on tombstones. Some engraving results in an etched object, like a piece of jewelry or silverware. Other engraving is done on a metal plate, which is then used to print an illustration, design, or even paper money. You can call the design or resulting print an engraving as well. The word, from the verb engrave, combines the prefix en-, "in or into," and the now-obsolete grave, "to carve."
Vocabulary lists containing engraving
The Renaissance and Early Modern European History - Introductory
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Art History
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The Renaissance and Early Modern European History - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A stone engraving of the Declaration of Independence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
More than 40,000 years ago, early humans were already engraving symbols onto tools, figurines, and other objects.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 25, 2026
The publishers – Cadell and Davies – paid 20 guineas for the new painting which they planned to use as an engraving in all future editions of Burns' books.
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2026
Before all of that upheaval, Crane was a big company in North Adams, giving job security and economic stability to employees like John Collins, its 66-year-old head of engraving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
Lazlo set the book down on the pocked surface of the worktable, noticing only now the engraving on the cover.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Herman Melville’s American classic was given new life by Kent’s dramatic engravings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
The engravings stolen from Biblioteca Mário de Andrade on Sunday formed part of a joint exhibition with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025
However, the scale, content, and placement of the Arabian engravings set them apart.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2025
Robinson goes on to fret about losing his grandfather’s rifle and describes the engravings on the shell casings found at the scene as “mostly a big meme.”
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2025
Even in the dim light, Archer recognized the weapon: all black, with engravings of scales and dull gold inlay.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
