etch

1 of 2

verb

etched; etching; etches

transitive verb

1
a
: to produce (something, such as a pattern or design) on a hard material by eating into the material's surface (as by acid or laser beam)
b
: to subject to such etching
2
: to delineate or impress clearly
scenes etched in our minds
pain was etched on his features

intransitive verb

: to practice etching
etcher noun

etch

2 of 2

noun

1
: the action or effect of etching a surface
2
: a chemical agent used in etching

Examples of etch in a Sentence

Verb etched an identification number on the back of the television glass that has been etched with an identification number
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
These artists have stood the test of time, and their beauty is etched into our memories. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 12 Mar. 2024 Cillian Murphy was joined by his wife, Yvonne McGuinness, and teenage sons, Malachy and Aran, who greeted well-wishers and looked on smiling as their dad’s inscription was etched. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 It was etched in the mind of an 8-year-old boy, who left on a boat with twenty-seven relatives in the exodus that brought more than 125,000 Cubans to the United States in 1980. Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Its coordinates are etched onto the left toe of her signature shoe. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 The rear of the head stone is etched with the 29 names of the fallen. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024 Clark can further etch her name into the history books on Sunday, needing 18 points to pass Pete Maravich’s all-time college scoring record of 3,667 points. Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 One that remains etched into my memory years later: missing an email invitation to a crucial event that was an annual fixture on the mayor’s calendar. Frayda Leibtag, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Except, Michonne eventually does find something: an iPhone, with an illustration of Michonne and their daughter Judith etched into the screen. Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
Nanoimprint lithography stamps the chip’s design directly onto a silicon wafer, while EUV instead uses light to etch circuit patterns. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 29 Jan. 2024 In recent years there has also been a spike nationwide in catalytic converter thefts, prompting police in Takoma Park, Md., to team up with a local mechanic to etch tag numbers on catalytic converters to deter thieves seeking the part for its precious metals. Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023 For a more subtle contrast, etch to remove the skin and some of the flesh without carving all the way through. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2023 But scene by scene, Jacobs and his leads etch a tangle of compelling, persuasive dynamics and backstories. Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023 Both etch sentences as precise as an Olympic skater’s figure eights; both wield their scalpels for insight beneath the baggy skin of domesticity. Hamilton Cain, Washington Post, 8 July 2023 China’s loudest complaint: It is blocked from buying a machine available only from a Dutch company, ASML, that uses ultraviolet light to etch circuits into silicon chips on a scale measured in nanometers, or billionths of a meter. Joe McDonald, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2023 Extreme ultraviolet light is then beamed through the plate and onto the wafer, printing a design on it before it’s bathed in chemicals to etch along the pattern. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023 The finely tabled landscape is the result of tiny etch marks on the penny's surface. Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'etch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Dutch etsen, from German ätzen to etch, corrode, from Old High German azzen to feed; akin to Old High German ezzan to eat — more at eat

First Known Use

Verb

1634, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of etch was in 1634

Dictionary Entries Near etch

Cite this Entry

“Etch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etch. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

etch

verb
ˈech
1
a
: to produce (as a pattern or design) on a hard material by lines eaten into the material's surface (as by acid or laser beam)
b
: to produce a pattern or design on by such etching
etched glass
an etched silicon chip
2
: to outline or impress clearly
migrating ducks etched against the sky
etcher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on etch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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