intaglio.

1. A design engraved below a hard surface, so an impression from it produces a raised image.

2. The art or process of carving designs below the surface of a hard material.

3. Printing in which ink held in recessed lines or areas of a plate transfers to paper.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a gem intaglio
• an intaglio in stone
• ancient intaglios

On the page

The wax preserved every line of the tiny intaglio cut into her ring.

Usage notes

Primary category: poetic / figurative / atmospheric. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: Countable singular intaglio; plural intaglios for designs or engraved objects. The engraving and printing processes are usually uncountable. Commonness: moderately common (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: Incised design/object, the engraving process and recessed-plate printing are separate uses. Contrast relief; MW confirms plural intaglios. Writing functions: atmospheric description, sensory precision.