[f. EMBOSS v.1]
1. Carved or molded in relief; ornamented with figures in relief; (of figures or ornament) raised, standing out in relief. Embossed printing: printing with raised letters, as for the use of the blind, or for ornament.
1541. Elyot, Image Gov., 67. Images … wrought … in imbosed worke.
1563. Homilies, II. Idolatry, II. (1859), 195. Embossed images began to creepe into Churches.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Relieve, embossed works, Toreumata.
1803. Phil. Trans., XCIII. 153. The … wear which attends the friction of … embossed surfaces.
1849. Wilmott, Jrnl. Summer in Country, 15 July, 141. The embossed alphabet for the blind.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Lit., Wks. (Bohn), II. 103. The … bill of fare engraved on embossed paper.
1859. Gullick & Timbs, Paint., 205. With sufficient body to give an embossed effect to the touch.
2. Covered with ornamental bosses or studs; richly or sumptuously decorated.
1591. Lyly, Sappho, I. ii. 161. Endeavour to be a courtier to live in emboste roofes.
1871. Whyte-Melville, Sarchedon, I. 21. His master drew the embossed bit carefully from his favourite’s mouth.
† 3. In 15th c.: Humpbacked. Obs.
c. 1430. trans. Deguilleville’s Pilg. Lyf. Manh. (1869), 130. Boystows she was and wrong shapen and enbosed [Fr. bossue].
† 4. Bulging, convex, swollen, tumid: fig. of style.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 163. Thinking by their embossed speech to tickle the eares and harts of the yoong princes.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, V. lxxviii. 645. The … imbossed heades of the first & right Squilla.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., XIII. xix. 316. In diuerse sorts of glasses; as in the hollowe, the plaine, the embossed [etc.].
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. iii. 177. Why thou horson, impudent, imbost Rascall. Ibid. (1605), Lear, II. iv. 227. My Daughter, thou art a Byle, a plague sore, or imbossed Carbuncle.
1646. J. Hall, Horæ Vac., 39. Embossed Language tickles the eares.
5. Bot. ‘Projecting in the centre like the boss of a shield’ (Syd. Soc. Lex.).
