incise

verb

in·​cise in-ˈsīz How to pronounce incise (audio) -ˈsīs How to pronounce incise (audio)
incised; incising

transitive verb

1
a
: to carve (something, such as an inscription) into a surface
b
: to carve figures, letters, or devices into : engrave
2
: to cut into

Examples of incise in a Sentence

The design is incised into the clay. The clay is incised to create a design.
Recent Examples on the Web There, the child incised into the skirt on the right turns out to be standing on one of their mom’s feet, while the child incised on the left is actively stepping up on her other foot. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Carved from wood as a durable, 3-foot-tall, totem-like column, it was then wrapped in linen, covered with smooth plaster and incised and painted. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Expertly mimicking a child’s earnest handiwork, the picture being incised into human flesh shows two stick-figure girls holding hands. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Somewhat lazy streams may morph into straight, narrow channels that incise down, destabilizing banks. Alka Tripathy-Lang, Ars Technica, 11 Jan. 2024 This is a sense memory not unlike touching marks incised in wood: the promise of a different world. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024 The leaves are simple, though sometimes deeply incised. Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 28 Aug. 2023 The Colorado River, whose wild energy incised the canyon over millions of years, is in crisis. Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 6 June 2023 That Bovary is urged on to exceed the ambit of his modest competence by his vain and snobbish wife, Emma—in cahoots with the publicity-seeking pharmacist—adds a layer of situational irony to what constitutes, prima facie, an abuse: Charles incised the skin. Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 12 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incise.' 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

Middle French or Latin; Middle French inciser, from Latin incisus, past participle of incidere, from in- + caedere to cut

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of incise was in 1567

Dictionary Entries Near incise

Cite this Entry

“Incise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incise. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

incise

verb
in·​cise in-ˈsīz How to pronounce incise (audio)
incised; incising
: to cut into : carve, engrave

Medical Definition

incise

transitive verb
in·​cise in-ˈsīz How to pronounce incise (audio) -ˈsīs How to pronounce incise (audio)
incised; incising
: to cut into : make an incision in
incised the swollen tissue

More from Merriam-Webster on incise

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