etch meaning and definition

ETCH verb

Definition of etch (verb)

1. make an etching of
   • "He etched her image into the surface"
2. cause to stand out or be clearly defined or visible
   • "a face etched with pain"; "the leafless branches etched against the sky"
3. carve or cut into a block used for printing or print from such a block
   • "engrave a letter"
   • synonyms: engrave
4. carve or cut a design or letters into
   • "engrave the pen with the owner's name"
   • synonyms: engrave
5. selectively dissolve the surface of (a semiconductor or printed circuit) with a solvent, laser, or stream of electrons