engrave

en·grave
E1N1G2R1A1V4E1
/ɪnˈɡɹeɪv/

verb

To carve text or symbols into (something), usually for the purposes of identification or art.

“He engraved his name.”

Similar
carveetchinscribescratchgrave
OriginEnglish grave ← Middle English grave ← Old French en- →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

engrave1

verbengrave (third-person singular simple present engraves, present participle engraving, simple past and past participle engraved)

present singular third person engraves · participle present engraving · participle past engraved · past engraved · alternative ingrave

  1. transitiveTo carve text or symbols into (something), usually for the purposes of identification or art.

    He engraved the plaque with his name.

    1 more example

    Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ¶ "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."

    1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC
  2. transitiveTo carve (something) into a material.

    He engraved his name.

engrave2

verbengrave (third-person singular simple present engraves, present participle engraving, simple past and past participle engraved)

present singular third person engraves · participle present engraving · participle past engraved · past engraved · alternative ingrave

  1. obsoleteTo put in a grave, to bury.

    So both agree their bodies to engraue; / The great earthes wombe they open to the sky [...].

    1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

carve (text or symbols) into

Similar
carveetchinscribe

verbcarve, cut, or etch into a material or surface

Similar
scratchgraveinscribeetch
Broader
carvechip at

verbcarve or cut into a block used for printing or print from such a block

Similar
etch
Broader
print

verbcarve or cut a design or letters into

Similar
etchscratchgrave
Broader
carvechip at
Also see
etchgougegraveinscribescratch

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

engrave · verb

From earlier ingrave, equivalent to en- + grave (“to carve, engrave”). More at grave.

Full word history & related roots →

engrave · verb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Italic*en
  3. Proto-Italic*en-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Old Frenchen-
  6. Middle Englishen-
  7. Englishen-
  8. Middle Englishgrave
  9. Englishgrave
  10. Englishengrave

From en- + grave.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek χαράσσω
  • χαράσσω (kharássō)carve text or symbols into (something)
Bulgarian грави́рам
  • грави́рам (gravíram)carve text or symbols into (something)
Catalan gravar
  • gravarcarve text or symbols into (something)
Chinese Mandarin 雕刻, 鐫刻 /镌刻
  • 雕刻 (diāokè)carve text or symbols into (something)
  • 鐫刻 /镌刻 (juānkè)carve text or symbols into (something)
Danish indgravere, gravere
  • indgraverecarve text or symbols into (something)
  • graverecarve text or symbols into (something)
Dutch graveren
  • graverencarve text or symbols into (something)
Finnish kaivertaa
  • kaivertaacarve text or symbols into (something)
French graver
  • gravercarve text or symbols into (something)
German gravieren
  • gravierencarve text or symbols into (something)
Greek χαράσσω
  • χαράσσω (charásso)carve text or symbols into (something)
Irish grábháil
  • grábháilcarve text or symbols into (something)
Italian incidere, intagliare
  • inciderecarve text or symbols into (something)
  • intagliarecarve text or symbols into (something)
  • bulinarecarve text or symbols into (something)
Japanese 刻む, 彫り込む
  • 刻む (kizamu)carve text or symbols into (something)
  • 彫り込む (horikomu)carve text or symbols into (something)
  • 彫刻する (chōkoku suru)carve text or symbols into (something)
Latin insigno, caelō
  • insignocarve text or symbols into (something)
  • caelōcarve text or symbols into (something)
Māori whaowhao
  • whaowhaocarve text or symbols into (something)
Norwegian gravere
  • graverecarve text or symbols into (something)
Norwegian Bokmål inngravere
  • inngraverecarve text or symbols into (something)
Polish grawerować, rytować
  • grawerowaćcarve text or symbols into (something)
  • rytowaćcarve text or symbols into (something)
Portuguese gravar
  • gravarcarve text or symbols into (something)
Russian гравирова́ть, высека́ть
  • гравирова́ть (gravirovátʹ)carve text or symbols into (something)
  • высека́ть (vysekátʹ)carve text or symbols into (something)
  • выреза́ть (vyrezátʹ)carve text or symbols into (something)
Spanish grabar, burilar
  • grabarcarve text or symbols into (something)
  • burilarcarve text or symbols into (something)
  • inscribircarve text or symbols into (something)
  • entallarcarve text or symbols into (something)
  • epigrafiarcarve text or symbols into (something)
  • incidircarve text or symbols into (something)
  • entretallarcarve text or symbols into (something)
Swedish gravera, karva
  • graveracarve text or symbols into (something)
  • karvacarve text or symbols into (something)
  • etsacarve text or symbols into (something)
Thai สลัก, แกะสลัก
  • สลัก (sà-làk)carve text or symbols into (something)
  • แกะสลัก (gɛ̀-sà-làk)carve text or symbols into (something)

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with engrave

savedavewaveslavecavegraveWAVbravefavebehaveraveshavewaivepavecravenavestavesuaveclaveMaeveenslaveknavelavetrave
All rhymes →

Anagrams

avengerGrevenavernage
Cite this entry
APA

engrave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/engrave

MLA

“engrave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/engrave. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “engrave,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/engrave.

Source: engrave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.