emboss
Syllables: em·bossUK/ɪmˈbɒs//əmˈbɔs/
emboss verb: to cause (something) to stick out or swell; to extrude; also, to cause (someone or something) to be covered in swellings.
Verb (1)
emboss (third-person singular simple present embosses, present participle embossing, simple past and past participle embossed)
- To cause (something) to stick out or swell; to extrude; also, to cause (someone or something) to be covered in swellings.
- VVhen God, vvhoſe vvords more in a moment can, / Then in an Age the proudeſt ſtrength of Man, / Had ſeuered the Floods, leuell'd the Fields, / Embas't the Valleys, and emboſt the Hils; […]1608, [Guillaume de Salluste] Du Bartas, “[Du Bartas His First Week, or Birth of the World: […].] The Third Daie of the First Week.”, in Josuah Sylvester, transl., Du Bartas His Deuine Weekes and...
- His Cattel muſt of Rot and Murren die, / Botches and blaines muſt all his fleſh imboſs, / And all his people; […]1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...
- To make (a design on a coin, an ornament on an object, etc.) stand out from a surface.
- [S]o glorious vvas her Throne, / In vvhich himſelfe to ſit great Neptune had been knovvn; / […] / No Fiſh in this vvide vvaſte but vvith exceeding coſt / VVas there in Antique vvorke moſt curiouſly imboſt.1612, Michael Drayton, “The Fift Song”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great...
- The house opposite my lodging had been formerly a Palace of the King's, the outside was totaly cover'd with fleurs de lyes, emboss'd out of yᵉ stone.1644 May 17 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 8 May 1644]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I...
- To represent (a subject) on an object in relief; also, of a design or subject: to stand out on (an object) in relief.
- [R]ich embroideries by rare Art emboſt: […]1608, [Guillaume de Salluste] Du Bartas, “[Du Bartas His Second Weeke, […]. Adam. […].] The Handi-crafts. The IIII. Part of the I. Day of the II. Week.”, in Josuah Sylvester, transl., Du Bartas His...
- To the Cumæan Coaſt at length he came; / And, here alighting, built this coſtly Frame. / Inſcrib'd to Phœbus, here he hung on high / The ſteerage of his VVings, that cut the Sky: / Then o're the lofty Gate his Art emboſs'd / Androgeos Death, and Off'rings to his Ghoſt.1697, Virgil, “The Sixth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, pages 362–363...
- To decorate or mark (something) with a design or symbol in relief.
- The papers weren’t official until the seal had been embossed on them.
- The title was embossed in gold lettering on the cover.
- To decorate (something) with bosses (“ornamental convex protuberances”); to boss; hence, to decorate (something) richly.
- I wonne her with a gyrdle of gelt, / Emboſt with buegle about the belt.1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC, folio 4, verso
- I fed on ſcarlet hips and ſtoney havvs, / Or bluſhing crabs, or berries that imboſs / The bramble, black as jet, or ſloes auſtere.1785, William Cowper, “Book I. The Sofa.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 7
- To cause (something) to be prominent or stand out.
- [T]he triumph of general fraternity vvas but the most ſignalized by the total vvant of particular claims in that caſe; and by poſtponing all ſuch claims, in a caſe vvhere they really exiſted, vvhere they ſtood emboſſed, and in a manner forced themſelves on the vievv of common ſhort-ſighted...1797, Edmund Burke, “Letter III.”, in A Third Letter to a Member of the Present Parliament, on the Proposals for Peace with the Regicide Directory of France, London: […] F[rancis] and C[harles]...
- [Luke] 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.2021 March 7, David Hytner, “Manchester United catch City cold as Fernandes and Shaw end winning run”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived...
- To make (speech, etc.) unduly bombastic or grand.
- All this diſſention and ſtrife was kindled (no doubt) by the meanes of certeine ſowers of diſcord, ſycophants, paraſits, flatterers, clawbacks, & pickeſhanks, […] thinking by their emboſſed ſpeech to tickle the eares and harts of the yoong princes, […]1587 January, Raphael Holinshed, “Henrie the Second, the Second Sonne of Geffrey Plantagenet”, in The Third Volume of Chronicles, Beginning at Duke William the Norman, Commonlie Called the Conqueror...
Noun
emboss (plural embosses)
- Synonym of boss (“a knob or projection”).
- In this [the piazza of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City] is a fountaine out of which gushes a river rather than a streeme, which ascending a good height breakes upon a round embosse of marble into millions of pearles that fall into the subjacent basons with greate noise; I esteem this one...1644 November 26 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 17 November 1644]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition...
- Synonyms:
- boss
Verb (2)
emboss (third-person singular simple present embosses, present participle embossing, simple past and past participle embossed)
- Of a hunted animal: to take shelter in a forest or wood.
- So vertue giv'n for loſt, / Depreſt, and overthrovvn, as ſeem'd, / Like that ſelf-begott'n bird / In the Arabian woods emboſt, […]1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 98, lines...
- An Elephant from one of thoſe / Tvvo mighty Armies is broke looſe, / […] / Look quickly, leſt the Sight of us / Should cauſe the ſtartled Beaſt t’imboſs.a. 1681 (date written), Samuel Butler, “The Elephant in the Moon”, in R[obert] Thyer, editor, The Genuine Remains in Verse and Prose of Mr. Samuel Butler, […], volume I, London: […] J[acob] and...
- To drive (a hunted animal) to exhaustion by chasing it; to exhaust; hence, to make (a hunted animal) foam at the mouth due to exhaustion from being chased.
- Thus stode I in the frytthy forest of Galtres, / Ensowkid with sylt of the myry mose, / Where hartis belluyng, embosyd with distres, / Ran on the raunge so longe, […]1523, John Skelton, “A Ryght Delectable Tratyse vpon a Goodly Garlande or Chapelet of Laurell, […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd...
- And if hee [a hart] ſhould runne into any of thoſe two windes, it would quickly enter his throate when he is emboſt and beginneth to be ſpent, & would drie his throat & his tong ſore, and woud altarand chafe him much with the vehement heat thereof.1575, Jacques du Fouilloux, “Certaine Observations and Subtleties to be Used by Huntsmen in Hunting an Hart at Force”, in George Gascoigne, transl., The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting. […], London...
- To cause (an animal's body, a person's mouth, etc.) to be covered with foam.
- I suppose (except I be moche deceiued) thou seest me nat stare with myn eyen, or my mouthe imbosed, or the colour of my face chaunged, or any other deformitie in my persone or gesture, or that my wordes be swyfte, or my voyce louder than modestie requyreth, or that I am unstable in my gesture or...1531, Thomas Elyot, “Of Moderation a Spice of Temperance”, in Ernest Rhys, editor, The Boke Named the Governour […] (Everyman’s Library), London: J[oseph] M[alaby] Dent & Co; New York, N.Y.: E[dward]...
- For, jaded now, and spent with toil, / Embossed with foam, and dark with soil, / While every gasp with sobs he drew, / The labouring stag strained full in view.1810, Walter Scott, “Canto I. The Chase.”, in The Lady of the Lake; […], Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William...
- To cause (someone, their heart or soul, etc.) to become extremely fatigued; to exhaust.
- But ſee, ah ſee, I ſee hovv Loue caſts off Deſire his Hound, / A fell fleet Dogge, that hunts my Heart by parſee each-vvheare found. / Svveet Cynthea rate the eger Curre, and ſo thy foe preuent, / For, loe, a farre my chaſed Heart imboſte and almoſt ſpent.1602, William Warner, “The Seventh Booke. Chapter XXVI.”, in Albions England. A Continued Historie of the Same Kingdome, from the Originals of the First Inhabitants thereof: […], 5th edition, London...
- [W]e haue almoſt imboſt him, you ſhall ſee his fall to night; for indeede he is not for your Lordſhippes reſpect.c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
- Of a person: to foam at the mouth; also (figurative), to be furious, to rage.
Verb (3)
emboss (third-person singular simple present embosses, present participle embossing, simple past and past participle embossed)
- To enclose or suit (a person) in armour.
- A knight her mett in mighty armes emboſt, […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 24, page 39
- To enclose or surround (someone or something).
- The knight his thrillant ſpeare again aſſayd / In his bras-plated body to emboſſe, […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 19, page 160
- None of them raſhly durſt to her approch, / Ne in ſo glorious ſpoile themſelues emboſſe, / Her ſuccourd eke the Champion of the bloody Croſſe.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 64, page 409
emboss meaning in Tamil, Kannada, Sanskrit and Tagalog
emboss in Tamil
- புடைப்புரு அமை, குமிட்டிப்பு, புடைச்செதுக்கல், உருபுடைக்கவரைதல்
emboss in Kannada
- ಉಬ್ಬಚ್ಚು, ಉಬ್ಬುಚಿತ್ರವನ್ನು ರಚಿಸು, ಉಬ್ಬುಚಿತ್ರ ಕೆತ್ತು, ಉಬ್ಬಚ್ಚು ಮಾಡು, ಉಬ್ಬಿಸು, ಉಬ್ಬಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡು
emboss in Sanskrit
- to emboss
- तनोति tanóti
emboss in Tagalog
- to decorate or mark (something) with a design or symbol in relief
- buralan, buralin
Examples of emboss in a sentence
- An oak grew near, and with its ample boughs / O'ercanopied the spring; its fretted roots / Emboss'd the bank, and on their tufted bark / Grew plants which love the moisture and the shade.1814, Robert Southey, “Canto XXI”, in Roderick the Last of the Goths, London: […] [F]or Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], by...
- The rich bronze which embossed its gates, the myriads of lamps which illuminated its aisles, have disappeared; […]1838, William H[ickling] Prescott, “Review of the Political and Intellectual Condition of the Spanish Arabs previous to the War of...
- Manlius, brought them into love vvith ſilver plate curiouſly enchaſed and emboſſed: […]1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXVII.] Of the Rich Precious Stones of Polycrates the Tyrant, and King...
- A ſquare and lofty obeliſk of braſs; the ſides vvere emboſſed vvith a variety of pictureſque and rural ſcenes: […]1788, Edward Gibbon, chapter LIX, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume VI, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and...
Synonyms of emboss
Forms of emboss
| Verb | |
|---|---|
| third-person singular present | embosses |
| present participle | embossing |
| past participle | embossed |
| past | embossed |
| alternative form | imboss |
| Noun | |
| plural | embosses |
Origin of emboss
PIE word *h₁én The verb is derived from Late Middle English embossen, embosen, embocen (“to be bloated; to bulge; to cause to bulge; to ornament in relief, emboss”) [and other forms], from Old French embocer (modern French embosser), from em- (a variant of en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’)) + boce (“swelling”) + -er (suffix forming verbs); boce (“swelling”) is derived from Vulgar Latin *bottia (“a bump”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *bautan (“to beat”), from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to beat; to bump, knock; to push”). The English word is analysable as em- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’) + boss (“bump, lump, protuberance”). The noun is derived from the verb.
From Middle English embosen, embose, enbose (“of game: to become exhausted from hunting”), possibly from em- (a variant of en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’)) + Old French bos, bois (“woodland, woods”) (modern French bois) (from Late Latin boscus, Medieval Latin boscus (“woodlands, woods”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *busk (“bush, thicket”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush, thicket”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to appear; to be; to become; to grow”)). Doublet of imbosk (“to conceal or hide (not necessarily in a forest or wood)”). Etymology 2 sense 2 (“to make (a hunted animal) foam at the mouth”) is probably influenced by emboss (“to decorate (something) with bosses”; etymology 1, verb sense 5), likening the flecks of foam to decorative bosses.
Possibly: * from em- (a variant of en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’)) + boss (“(small) cask; leather bottle for holding wine”) (Scotland, obsolete); or * borrowed from Spanish embozarse, from embozar (“to cloak, hide; to turn up; to wrap up”) + se (“oneself; yourself; himself; herself; etc.”). Embozar is derived from em- (a variant of en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’)) + bozo (“mouth; muzzle; halter for horses”) (from Medieval Latin *buccēus (“belonging or relating to the mouth”), from Latin bucca (“mouth”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Germanic *puhô (“bag, pouch”), from Proto-Indo-European *bew-, *bʰew- (“to blow; to inflate, swell”)) + -ar (suffix forming first-conjugation verbs). The word was possibly coined by the English poet Edmund Spenser (1552 or 1553 – 1599) in his work The Faerie Queene (1590–1596): see the quotations.
Words formed from emboss
Words that rhyme with emboss
Questions about emboss
- What does emboss mean?
- Emboss means to cause (something) to stick out or swell; to extrude; also, to cause (someone or something) to be covered in swellings.
- What is emboss in Tamil?
- Emboss in Tamil is புடைப்புரு அமை, குமிட்டிப்பு, புடைச்செதுக்கல். See Emboss meaning in Tamil.
- How do you use emboss in a sentence?
- An oak grew near, and with its ample boughs / O'ercanopied the spring; its fretted roots / Emboss'd the bank, and on their tufted bark / Grew plants which love the moisture and the shade.
- What part of speech is emboss?
- Emboss can be a verb or a noun.
- How do you pronounce emboss?
- Emboss is pronounced /ɪmˈbɒs/ (UK).
- What is the past tense of emboss?
- The past tense of emboss is embossed.
Words near emboss in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: emboss (page history and authors); emboss (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); emboss (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); तनोति (Sanskrit) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-us-emboss.ogg.
Cite this entry: “emboss.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/emboss. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.