Standard Lemma guide

incise

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪnˈsaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪz
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N S AY1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To cut in or into with a sharp instrument; to carve; to engrave.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

make an incision into by carving or cutting

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cut

Narrower terms: notch, scratch, scrape, scratch up, groove, slit, worry, girdle, deaden

History

Etymology

From Middle French inciser.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: врязвам (vrjazvam) — to cut in or into
  • Bulgarian: издълбавам (izdǎlbavam) — to cut in or into
  • Bulgarian: гравирам (graviram) — to cut in or into
  • Finnish: leikata — to cut in or into
  • Finnish: kaivertaa — to cut in or into
  • Māori: pākati — to cut in or into
  • Ottoman Turkish: قازمق (kazmak) — to cut in or into
  • Ottoman Turkish: یازمق (yazmak) — to cut in or into