Word
etching
Phoneticsetch·ing
US/ˈɛtʃɪŋ/
UK/ˈɛtʃɪŋ/
Definition
n. a picture made by using acid to cut a design into a metal plate. You then use the plate to print the image onto paper.
n. a printmaking process, or the resulting print, produced by using acid to incise a design into a metal plate. The plate is coated with a protective wax, which the artist scratches through before immersing the metal in an acid bath.
Examples
“She bought a beautiful etching of the city skyline.”
“The gallery is hosting an exhibition of 18th-century etchings that show the daily life of local farmers.”
“The artist's mastery is evident in this etching, where the varying depths of the lines create a sophisticated play of light and shadow that woodcuts cannot easily replicate.”
Examples
simple
“She bought a beautiful etching of the city skyline.”
contextual
“The gallery is hosting an exhibition of 18th-century etchings that show the daily life of local farmers.”
complex
“The artist's mastery is evident in this etching, where the varying depths of the lines create a sophisticated play of light and shadow that woodcuts cannot easily replicate.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the artistic technique; countable when referring to a specific piece of art.
Word family
Idioms
see someone's etchings — To have sex with (someone).
show someone one's etchings — A clichéd innuendo used to offer to bring someone to a private location in order to have sex, to show a place where people can engage in sexual intercourse (alternatively replacing "someone" with a phrase starting with to)