emboss

English

Braille is an example of embossing.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈbɒs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈbɑs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒs

Etymology 1

From Middle English embossen, embosen, embocen, from Old French embocer, equivalent to em- +‎ boss (“a lump; bump; protuberance”).

Verb

emboss (third-person singular simple present embosses, present participle embossing, simple past and past participle embossed)

1. (transitive) To mark or decorate with a raised design or symbol, extrude.

   The papers weren't official until the seal had been embossed on them.

2. (transitive) To raise in relief from a surface, as an ornament, a head on a coin, etc.
   • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     Then o'er the lofty gate his art emboss'd / Androgeo's death.

   • 1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC:

     Exhibiting flowers in their natural colours embossed upon a purple ground.

3. To enhance or polish.
   • 2021 March 7, David Hytner, “Manchester United catch City cold as Fernandes and Shaw end winning run”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     Shaw’s goal embossed his latest man-of-the-match performance and it came in front of Gareth Southgate, although the England manager has surely decided already to recall him for the internationals at the end of the month.

Translations

to mark or decorate with a raised design or symbol

• Bulgarian: украсявам с релеф (ukrasjavam s relef)
• Catalan: gofrar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拷花 (zh) (kǎohuā)

• Czech: vyrazit (cs), vytlačit, embosovat
• Finnish: kohokuvioida, martioida (fi)
• French: estamper (fr), gaufrer (fr), bosseler (fr)
• German: prägen (de)
• Italian: coniare (it)
• Japanese: 彫り上げる (ほりあげる, horiageru)
• Maori: rākai, rākei
• Russian: тисни́ть (ru) impf (tisnítʹ), выбива́ть (ru) impf (vybivátʹ), чека́нить (ru) impf (čekánitʹ)
• Spanish: repujar (es), abollar (es)
• Tagalog: buralan, buralin
• Ukrainian: ембосувати (embosuvaty), витискати (vytyskaty), вибивати (vybyvaty) (робити рельєфний малюнок)

Etymology 2

Perhaps from em- +‎ Old French bos, bois (“wood”). Compare imbosk.

Verb

emboss (third-person singular simple present embosses, present participle embossing, simple past and past participle embossed)

1. (obsolete) Of a hunted animal: to take shelter in a wood or forest.
2. (obsolete) To drive (an animal) to extremity; to exhaust, to make foam at the mouth.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Crueltie”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, pages 249–250:

     And as it commonly happneth, that when the Stagge begins to be emboſt, and findes his ſtrength to faile-him, having no other remedie left him, doth yeelde and bequeath himſelfe vnto vs that purſue him, with tears ſuing to vs for mercie […].

3. (obsolete) To hide or conceal in a thicket; to imbosk; to enclose, shelter, or shroud in a wood.
   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 98:

     In the Arabian woods emboſt,

4. (obsolete) To surround; to ensheath; to immerse; to beset.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 24:

     A knight her met in mighty arms embossed.

Anagrams

• besoms