etch

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɛt͡ʃ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like aitch /ɛ/ vs /eɪ/

Freq #43706

Meanings

1

verb
To cut a design, letters, or lines into a hard surface.

The jeweller etched their initials into the silver ring.
2

verb
To fix something firmly in your memory.

The memory of that day is etched into my mind forever.
3

verb
To make a mark, line, or feature stand out clearly.

Years of worry had etched deep lines into his face.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to cut a design, letters,... engrave

Word family

Forms etchedetchesetchs

Derived forms cryoetchetchableetcheretchplainetchplanationmicroetchoveretchphotoetchself-etchtotal-etchunderetch

Related forms etchantetching

Simplified etymology

Etch was borrowed in the mid-17th century from Dutch etsen, which comes from a Germanic root meaning “cause to eat.”

Etymology

From Dutch etsen (“to etch”), from German ätzen (“to etch”), from Old High German azzon (“to cause to bite or feed”), from Proto-Germanic *atjaną, causative of *etaną (“to eat”) (whence also English eat).

*h₁ed- Proto-Indo-European etsen Dutch ätzen German azzon goh *atjaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# etch

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɛt͡ʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 43706

## Meanings
1. To cut a design, letters, or lines into a hard surface.
2. To fix something firmly in your memory.
3. To make a mark, line, or feature stand out clearly.

## Examples
- The jeweller etched their initials into the silver ring.
- The memory of that day is etched into my mind forever.
- Years of worry had etched deep lines into his face.

## Derived Forms
- cryoetch
- etchable
- etcher
- etchplain
- etchplanation
- microetch
- overetch
- photoetch
- self-etch
- total-etch
- underetch

## Related Forms
- etchant
- etching

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₁ed-
- Root: etsen
- Root: ätzen
- Root: azzon
- Root: *atjaną

## Etymology
From Dutch etsen (“to etch”), from German ätzen (“to etch”), from Old High German azzon (“to cause to bite or feed”), from Proto-Germanic *atjaną, causative of *etaną (“to eat”) (whence also English eat).

## AI Etymology
Etch is from Dutch etsen (“to etch”), from German ätzen (“to etch”), from Old High German azzon (“to cause to bite or feed”), from Proto-Germanic *atjaną, causative of *etaną (“to eat”) (whence also English eat). Important recorded forms include *h₁ed- (Proto-Indo-European), etsen (Dutch), ätzen (German), azzon (goh), and *atjaną (Proto-Germanic). Current senses include to cut a design, letters, or lines into a hard surface, to fix something firmly in your memory, and to make a mark, line, or feature stand out clearly. The wider family includes derived forms such as cryoetch, etchable, etcher, etchplain, and etchplanation and related words such as etchant and etching.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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