To etch means to cut or carve a design into a hard surface, usually using acid or a sharp tool. Artists etch intricate patterns into metal plates by coating them with wax, scratching through the wax to expose the metal underneath, then bathing the plate in acid that eats away at the exposed areas. The resulting grooves hold ink for printing detailed images.

You can also etch glass, creating frosted designs on windows or drinking glasses. Circuit boards in computers are created by etching away unwanted copper, leaving behind the precise pathways electricity needs to follow.

The word also describes making a lasting impression, though nothing physical gets carved. When you say something is etched in your memory, you mean you'll never forget it. A spectacular sunset or an embarrassing moment might be etched in your mind forever. The phrase suggests permanence, just like those grooves cut into metal: once etched, they’re there to stay.