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Glite Dictionary
to emboss

to emboss

13 6.8
To raise a design on paper or leather by pressing it
  • verb
  • /ɪmˈbɔs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : repujar
  • The school crest "Sapienta et Veritas" is embossed in the lino just inside the entrance.
  • embossed braille
  • embossed print
  • embossed image

Examples

  • And I'd like to have this wallet embossed.

    The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

  • In the late 1700s, Valentin Hay invented an embossed print reading system and a press for creating tactile books.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Behind the iron gates with the embossed Star of David was a small yard.

    Academic text (2000)

  • This year we embossed the flyers for the show.

    High School Musical 2 (2007)

  • Relax, it's just embossed vinyl.

    The Beautician and the Beast (1997)

  • Against the foot of the bed leaned the embossed leather sword case.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Nick passed an envelope bearing the bank's embossed logo across the counter.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The initials WZW were embossed on it in gold.

    The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

  • The cardinal sent a sculptor to emboss large words, VASA SACRA LAUDO DEUM.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The initials embossed on the leather notebook made it look personalized.

Synonyms

to stamp
vsto emboss
40 2.2

To press a design or letters into something with a tool

focuses on creating raised decorative designs rather than general shaping
to imprint
vsto emboss
12 3.8

To press something so it leaves a mark

produces a raised decorative pattern instead of only a flat impression
to embellish
vsto emboss
10 6.3

To make something more beautiful by adding decorative details

creates raised surface designs specifically, not just adding any decoration
to impress
vsto emboss
8 4.5

To press a design into a surface

creates a raised decoration rather than just a flat mark by pressure
to boss
vsto emboss
  • Specialized
9.3

To make a design stand out on a surface by pushing the material

specifies doing this often by pressing or stamping onto the surface

Antonyms

to erase
144 1.6

Remove marks, writing, or digital files so they are no longer visible

to flatten
23 2.6

Make something flat and smooth by pressing it

Phrasal Verbs

to emboss initials
  • Specialized
7.1

To press initials so they are raised above the surface

How Raised

to emboss
  • Specialized
13 6.8
to stamp
40 2.2

Surface Forms

emboss infinitive
embossed past
embossed past participle
embossing present participle
embosses third person singular

Morphology

emboss = boss (semi-transparent) = em + boss

The prefix 'em-' suggests 'to cause to be' or 'to put into', which aligns with the action of creating a raised design, but the specific method or context may not be immediately clear to all learners.

Etymology

Emboss comes from the prefix em- meaning 'make' and the word boss meaning 'a hump or rounded shape'. So to emboss is to make a raised design on a surface, like small bumps or patterns you can feel.