engrave

verb

en·​grave in-ˈgrāv How to pronounce engrave (audio)
en-
engraved; engraving

transitive verb

1
a
: to impress deeply as if with a graver
the incident was engraved in his memory
b
: to form by incision (as on wood or metal)
2
a
: to cut figures, letters, or designs on for printing
also : to print from an engraved plate
an engraved invitation
engraver noun

Examples of engrave in a Sentence

They will engrave your initials on the ring for free. She had the ring engraved with her initials. The image was engraved on the plaque.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The $9,000 Rolex Submariner, engraved with Reeves’ name, turned up in a police raid on four houses in Santiago. Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2024 In the first category, persistence paid off for metal detectorists in Wales and Denmark, who uncovered a 300-year-old silver thimble engraved with a message of enduring love and a 1,500-year-old gold ring that may be linked to the Frankish Merovingian dynasty, respectively. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024 Entropy engraves an arrow of time for processes that would otherwise just as easily happen in reverse. Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024 Basalt, the researchers explained, is a particularly hard rock that is difficult to engrave and cut. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for engrave 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French engraver, from en- + graver to grave, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English grafan to grave

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of engrave was in 1509

Dictionary Entries Near engrave

Cite this Entry

“Engrave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engrave. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

engrave

verb
en·​grave in-ˈgrāv How to pronounce engrave (audio)
engraved; engraving
1
: to impress deeply
the incident was engraved in my memory
2
a
: to cut or carve (as letters or designs) on a hard surface
b
: to cut lines, letters, figures, or designs on or into (a hard surface) often for use in printing
c
: to print from a cut surface
an engraved wedding invitation
engraver noun

More from Merriam-Webster on engrave

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