I. ˈech verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Dutch etsen, from German ätzen to feed, bite, cause to bite, etch, from Old High German azzen to feed; akin to Middle Dutch etten to put out to graze, Old Norse etja to cause to fight, goad on, Gothic fra atjan to distribute as food; causative from the root of English eat — more at eat
transitive verb
1.
a. : to produce (as a design) usually on a metal or glass surface by covering it with an acid-resistant ground through which a design is scratched with a pointed instrument and submitting the surface to an acid bath or other mordant
panels of glass etched to simulate clouds — American Guide Series: Minnesota
b. : to treat (as a copper or zinc plate) in a similar manner to produce a relief printing image by photoengraving — compare halftone
c. : to treat (a lithographic printing surface) with dilute nitric or other acid in order to fix the design and make the exposed parts more repellent to grease
2. : to corrode the surface of (as a metal) usually with acid for the purpose of microscopic examination of structural details
3.
a. : to draw the main features of (as a face) : outline
a little leaned by the years, and the features a little more sharply etched — C.I.Lewis
nor has the relationship between crime and politics been more clearly etched than in Chicago — Seth Agnew
b. : to set forth in a clear-cut manner : delineate
the most sharply etched character in the book — Times Literary Supplement
4. : to produce (a feature of the landscape) by erosion : erode , chisel
barrier of towering peaks and deeply etched canyons — R.A.Billington
streams etched out new valleys — American Guide Series: New Jersey
5. : to impress usually on the mind or in the memory : imprint
the place, the people, are etched in our minds to stay — New York Herald Tribune Book Review
lasting impressions on the American mind, etched deeply into a national consciousness — J.D.Hart
intransitive verb
1. : to practice the art of etching : make etchings
has been etching busily the past month
2. : to be susceptible of etching with acid
magnesium is said to etch faster than copper or zinc
II. noun
( -es )
1. : the action or effect of an etching acid on metal or glass : bite
2. : a chemical agent used in etching ; specifically : a solution of acid and gum arabic used in lithography to desensitize the parts of the stone or metal surface that are not intended to print
3. : tobacco etch