[etch] vb [D etsen, fr. G atzen to etch, corrode, fr. OHG azzen to feed; akin to OHG ezzan to eat--more at eat] vt (1634) 1 a: to produce (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 ~ed in our minds" "pain was ~ed on his features" ~ vi: to practice etching -- etch.er n
[2]etch n (1896) 1: the action or effect of etching a surface
2: a chemical agent used in etching