engraving

E1N1G2R1A1V4I1N1G2

noun

The practice of incising a design onto a hard surface, by cutting grooves into it.

Similar
Less commonScrabble 14

Meanings

nounengraving (countable and uncountable, plural engravings)

plural engravings

  1. countableuncountableartThe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface, by cutting grooves into it.
  2. countableuncountablemediaThe art of producing an image from an engraved printing form, typically made of copper.
  3. countableA print produced from an engraving.

    He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him […] of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood.

    1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC
    1 more example

    He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own.

    1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC
  4. countableuncountableentertainmentThe art of drawing music notation at high quality, particularly on a computer.
verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of engrave

Synonyms & antonyms

nounmaking engraved or etched plates and printing designs from them

Similar
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Arabic نَقْشْ
  • نَقْشْ (naqš)the practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
Bulgarian грави́ране, гравю́ра
  • грави́ране (gravírane)the practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • гравю́ра (gravjúra)an engraved image
Catalan gravat
  • gravatthe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
Chinese Mandarin 雕刻, 鐫刻 /镌刻
  • 雕刻 (diāokè)the practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • 鐫刻 /镌刻 (juānkè)the practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
Czech rytina
  • rytinathe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
Dutch gravure
  • gravurean engraved image
Finnish kaiverrus, kaivertaminen
  • kaiverrusthe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • kaivertaminenthe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • kaiverrusan engraved image
French gravure, gravure
  • gravurethe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • gravurean engraved image
German Gravieren, Stechen
  • Gravierenthe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • Stechenthe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • Gravuran engraved image
  • Stichan engraved image
Italian incisione
  • incisionethe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
Japanese 彫刻
  • 彫刻 (chōkoku)the practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
Latin caelātūra, caelāmen
  • caelātūrathe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • caelāmenan engraved image
Norwegian Bokmål gravering, gravering
  • graveringthe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • graveringan engraved image
Polish rytownictwo, grawerstwo
  • rytownictwothe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • grawerstwothe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • grawerkaan engraved image
Portuguese gravura
  • gravurathe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
Russian грави́рование, гравю́ра
  • грави́рование (gravírovanije)the practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • гравю́ра (gravjúra)an engraved image
Spanish grabado, grabadura
  • grabadothe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • grabadurathe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • entretallamiento (disused)the practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • entretalladura (disused)the practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • buriladurathe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • grabadoan engraved image
  • buriladaan engraved image
  • buriladuraan engraved image
  • entretalla (disused)an engraved image
  • entretallamiento (disused)an engraved image
  • entretalladura (disused)an engraved image
Swedish gravering, gravyr
  • graveringthe practice of incising a design onto a hard surface
  • gravyran engraved image
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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