v. Pa. pple. engraved, engraven. Also 6–8 ingrave; pa. pple. 6–8 ingraved, 6–9 ingraven. [f. EN-1 + GRAVE v.; after the equivalent Fr. engraver (13–17th c.). (The strong pa. pple. engraven is now somewhat archaic or formal.)]
† 1. trans. To sculpture; to portray or represent by sculpture. Obs.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 305 b. For his surname, Cicero, he engraued the figure and proporcion of a cicer.
1545. Joye, Exp. Dan. iii. 35 b (R.). For ye shall make ye no image / saithe the lorde / nor engraue non / nor set vp non.
1583. Lyly, Ep. T. Watson, in Poems (Arb.), 30. Lysippus engraued Vulcan with a streight legge.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., III. 904/2. The kings my predecessors and ancestors, whose pictures are ingrauen and set heere in order within this hall.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., II. ii. 15. Vpon the which Shall be engrau’d the Sacke of Orleance.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. 312. His Sepulchre remained in S. Hierome’s time, and over it the Sunne engraven.
† 2. a. To cut into (a hard material) (obs. rare). b. To mark by incisions; to inscribe with incised characters; to ornament with incised marks.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. viii. 37. That seemes rough masons hand with engines keene Had long while laboured it to engrave.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., Introd. Others that yeeld to iron may be Ingraven.
1859. Smiles, Self-Help, v. 104. To engrave spoons and forks with crests and ciphers.
1832. Tennyson, Œnone, 72. Behold this fruit, whose gleaming rind ingrav’n ‘For the most fair.’
3. a. To carve (an inscription, figures, etc.) upon a surface; hence, to record by engraved or incised letters; also fig. † b. To make (wounds, cavities) by incision.
α. 1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 42 b. A golden aple with this poysee written or engraued about it. Ibid., 80. We haue … perfecte intelligence, onely of suche thynges as wee haue … engrauen in our memorie.
1578. Banister, Hist. Man, I. 24. The first & extremest ribbes … haue likewise lesser cauities or gutters, to their substaunce engraued.
1594. Greene, Selimus, Wks. 1881–3, XIV. 285. But we shall soone with our fine tempered swords, Engrave our prowesse on their burganets.
1600. Holland, Livy, 127 (R.). The Decemvirall lawes … they set up openly to be seene, engraven in brasse.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., ii. (1857), 6. As he had engraven upon his wife’s tomb.
1802. Mar. Edgeworth, Moral T. (1816), I. xii. 94. His coat of arms engraven upon the seal.
1870. Hawthorne, Eng. Note-bks,. II. 48. A cross engraven along its whole length.
β. 1557. N. T. (Genev.), Epist. *iij. In all partes of the worlde, he … as it were ingraued the glorie of his might.
1621. G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., XII. (1626), 249. The fatall steele … he waues Deepe in his guts, and wounds on wounds ingraues.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 41. The old Carver … had ingraven his own Name and Portraiture … in the Shield of Pallas.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 63. If their Crimes had been ingraven in some Plate of Iron or Brass.
1738. Wesley, Short Hymns (1762), I. 355. Ingraven with an iron pen My name upon Thy hands is seen.
c. fig. To impress deeply: to fix indelibly.
α. 1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXX. xii. In my mynde … I had engraved Her goodly countenaunce.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Nature, iii. O smooth my rugged heart, and there Engrave thy rev’rend law.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 27. Whose penetrating style has engraved in our ordinances, and in our hearts, the words and spirit of that immortal law.
1875. Ouseley, Mus. Form, iii. 30. To engrave them on his memory.
β. 1513. More, Rich. III. (1641), 240. By love or by grudge ingraved and imprinted in your heart.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., i. 2.
| And in your dreadfull verse ingrau’d the prophecies, | |
| The aged worlds descents, and Genealogies. |
a. 1619. Fotherby, Atheom., I. vii. § 2 (1622), 52. It is naturally ingrauen into the mindes of all men, to beleeue There is a God.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Hist. Jas. V., Wks. (1711), 115. A Prince’s Name is surer preserved, and more ingraven in Paper, than in all the rusting Medals.
4. To represent (a figure, landscape, etc.) by lines incised upon metal plates (in mod. use, also by lines carved in relief on wood blocks) with the view of reproducing it by printing. Also absol.
1667. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), III. 199. Cause the best of your statues … to be … engraven in copper.
1672. Petty, Pol. Anat. (1691), 59. He hath caused distinct Maps to be made of every Barony,… engraven in Copper.
1683. Ray, Corr. (1848), 132. Whether he designs to engrave and publish any of those icons.
1710. Hearne, Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), 20. Dr. Sacheverell’s Picture has been ingrav’d several Times.
1728. R. Morris, Ess. Anc. Archit., Advt. Prospects of the Church and Monuments curiously engraven.
1821. R. Turner, Arts & Sc. (ed. 18), 73. How do people engrave on wood?
1827–32. J. M. W. Turner (title), Picturesque Views in England and Wales, engraved by the best artists.
Engrave, var. INGRAVE obs., to entomb.
