inlay

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to decorate a surface by setting pieces of another material into it

   Craftworkers inlay the dark wood with thin strips of brass.

2. 2
   noun

   decoration made by setting pieces of wood, metal, stone, or another material into a surface

   The cabinet's ivory inlay formed a pattern of leaves and flowers.

3. 3
   noun

   a solid filling shaped outside the mouth and fitted into a prepared cavity in a tooth

   The dentist recommended a ceramic inlay instead of a large filling.

Formed in English from in + lay. The verb describes laying one material within another; the noun developed for the inserted decoration and later for a fitted dental restoration.

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