Skip to main content
etched

etched

5 5.1
Cut into a surface or fixed strongly in someone's memory
  • adjective
  • /ɛtʃt/
: grabado
  • You have the Rolex detailing and etched inside here, you have the diamond, you know, hour markers.

Nimble, severe, It's rings of skin, etched crosshatch, Half Moon over a frayed horizon.

Examples

  • The commemorative plaque was etched with the names of all the brave soldiers who served.

  • Those lines were etched in his face.

  • These days, they're etched into a permanent digital record.

  • All these tiny beautiful stickers and etched brass plates.

  • There's an outer layer and a set of sensors that are etched on a flexible PCB that's shown there.

  • The artist created a stunning mural, with intricate patterns etched into the stone surface.

  • He admired the beautiful glass vase that had delicate flowers etched around its neck.

Synonyms

carved
vsetched
39 3.1

Made by cutting into wood, stone, or metal to form a shape

refers to surface impressions for decoration rather than deep material shaping
engraved
vsetched
17 4.3

Cut into a surface to form a design or letters

focuses more on artistic or decorative effect rather than mere marking
graven
vsetched
  • Archaic
6 9.8

Cut into stone or wood to make letters and designs

highlights artistic or decorative effect rather than emphasis on specific materials
inscribed
vsetched
3 5.1

Written or carved on a surface like a stone

is used more for decorative designs than for marking words or names
incised
vsetched
1 7.0

Cut into a surface with a sharp tool to make lines or patterns

emphasizes artistic or decorative effect rather than just fine tool-made lines

Antonyms

224 1.0

A surface that is even and not rough

45 4.3

Having no mark or label to show who it belongs to

How Deep

carved
39 3.1
engraved
17 4.3
etched
5 5.1
scratch
170 1.6

Surface Forms

etched positive

Morphology

etched = etch (transparent) = etch + ed

Formed by the regular past-participle/adjectival suffix '-ed' from the verb 'etch', so the meaning is directly derived from the base verb.

Etymology

The word etched comes from an old German word like etch that meant 'to eat' or 'bite', because early artists used acid to 'bite' lines into metal. That's why etched now describes a design 'cut' into a surface and also a memory that feels fixed, as if it were 'bitten' into you.