etch

etch

to make (a drawing, design, etc.) on metal, glass, etc. by the action of an acid, esp. by coating the surface with wax and letting acid eat into the lines or areas laid bare with a special needle
to prepare (a metal plate, glass, etc.) in this way, for use in printing such drawings or designs
to engrave using a laser
to depict or impress sharply and distinctly

Origin of etch

Dutch etsen from German ätzen, to corrode from Middle High German etzen, to cause to eat, causative of ezzen (Ger essen), eat

to make etchings

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"etch." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/etch>.

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etch. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/etch

etch

verb

etched, etch·ing, etch·es

verb

transitive

a. To cut into the surface of (glass, for example) by the action of acid, especially by coating the surface with wax or another protective layer and drawing lines with a needle and then using the acid to form the lines on the unprotected parts of the surface.
b. To make or create by this method: etch a design on glass.
a. To draw or write by cutting or scraping: etched his initials in the metal.
b. To cut or scrape something in or on: etched the metal with a knife.
To impress or delineate clearly: a landscape that is forever etched in my memory; trees that are etched against the sky.

verb

intransitive

To engage in etching.

Origin of etch

Dutch etsen from German ätzen from Middle High German etzen from Old High German ezzen to eat ; see ed- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

etch′er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"etch." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/etch>.

APA Style

etch. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/etch

Verb

(third-person singular simple present etches, present participle etching, simple past and past participle etched)

To cut into a surface with an acid or other corrosive substance in order to make a pattern. Best known as a technique for creating printing plates, but also used for decoration on metal, and, in modern industry, to make circuit boards.
To engrave a surface.
(figuratively) To make a lasting impression.
The memory of 9/11 is etched into my mind.
To sketch; to delineate.

Origin

Germanic, cognate with Dutch ets.

Noun

Obsolete form of eddish.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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Link to this page

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MLA Style

"etch." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/etch>.

APA Style

etch. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/etch

etch - Computer Definition

To create a design in a material by digging out the material. The circuit designs on printed circuit boards and chips are etched by acid. See chip and printed circuit board.

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