inscribe

/ɪnˈskraɪb/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈskraɪb/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈskrīb/ (ame, mw)

inscribe — verb

  • inscribepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • inscribeshe / she / it
  • inscribedpast simple
  • inscribing-ing form

1. to put words onto a hard surface or page by writing, cutting, or pressing them i

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to put words onto a hard surface or page by writing, cutting, or pressing them in so the marks will last a very long time.

例句

Hui asked the jeweller to inscribe her grandmother's birth date inside the silver ring.

inscribe + object + inside/on + surface

The names of every soldier who died are inscribed on the long granite wall behind the park.

passive: be inscribed on + surface

同義詞
  • engrave

    very close in meaning; specifically about cutting letters into a hard surface

  • carve

    cut letters or shapes; less formal than inscribe and used for larger work too

  • etch

    make marks using acid or a sharp tool, often on glass or metal

反義詞
  • erase

    remove writing; opposite of leaving a lasting mark

文法句型

inscribe + something + on/in + surface

inscribe + surface + with + words

用法筆記

Subject is usually a craftsperson, machine, or institution; object is usually short text (a name, date, dedication, line of writing). Frequently passive when the focus is on the finished marking rather than who did it.

常見錯誤

❌I inscribed my homework in the notebook.
✅I wrote my homework in the notebook.
💡inscribe is for marks meant to last, not everyday writing.
❌She inscribed the message to him on a sticky note.
✅She wrote the message to him on a sticky note.
💡paper notes are temporary; inscribe needs a lasting surface like metal, stone, or wood.

2. to add someone's name to an official list, record, or register so that they are

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

to add someone's name to an official list, record, or register so that they are formally counted as a member or participant.

例句

Every new citizen is inscribed in the town's register on the day they take the oath.

passive: be inscribed in + register

Élise was inscribed as a voting member of the historical society at last week's meeting.

passive: be inscribed as + role

同義詞
  • enrol

    everyday word for joining a course, club, or programme

  • register

    official act of recording a name; broader than inscribe

  • enlist

    join an organisation, especially the military

反義詞

文法句型

inscribe + person + as + role

inscribe + person + in/on + register

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: here nothing is physically carved; the 'marking' is symbolic — adding a name to an official list. Subject is usually an institution or its representative.

常見錯誤

❌I inscribed for the dance class on Monday.
✅I signed up for the dance class on Monday.
💡for informal sign-ups use 'sign up' or 'register'; inscribe needs an official register.

3. to write a short personal message in a book — often the author's signature plus

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

to write a short personal message in a book — often the author's signature plus a few warm words — to mark it as a present or as a tribute to a specific person.

例句

Tanvi asked the author to inscribe the novel to her younger sister Anong.

inscribe + book + to + recipient

The poet inscribed every copy of his new collection with a different short line of verse.

inscribe + book + with + message

同義詞
  • dedicate

    stronger and more public — usually printed at the front of a published book

  • autograph

    narrow: just the author's signature, with no personal message

  • sign

    general word for putting your name on something

文法句型

inscribe + book + to + person

inscribe + book + with + message

用法筆記

Always involves a book, album, or other publication being given as a gift; the writer is usually the author or the giver. Distinguish from sense 1: a sense-1 inscription can appear on any lasting surface, but a sense-3 inscription appears specifically inside a book that is being given away.

常見錯誤

❌The author inscribed me her new book.
✅The author inscribed her new book to me.
💡the book comes first; the recipient takes 'to'.
❌She inscribed the gift with a card.
✅She included a card with the gift.
💡inscriptions go inside the book itself, not on a separate card.

4. in geometry, to draw one shape neatly inside another so that the inner shape's c

4.動詞及物C2
釋義

in geometry, to draw one shape neatly inside another so that the inner shape's corners or sides touch the outer boundary at every point they can reach.

例句

Isabela inscribed a regular hexagon in a circle, with each corner touching the curve.

inscribe + shape + in + shape

A square can be inscribed in a circle so that its four corners sit exactly on the edge.

passive: be inscribed in + shape

同義詞
  • enclose

    more general — surround something, not necessarily touching the edges

反義詞
  • circumscribe

    draw a shape around the outside of another so it just touches

文法句型

inscribe + shape + in + larger shape

用法筆記

Strictly a mathematics-class term. The opposite operation is to 'circumscribe' (draw the outer shape around an inner one). Frequently passive: 'a square is inscribed in a circle'.

常見錯誤

❌I inscribed a small box inside the big box.
✅I drew a small box inside the big box.
💡outside of geometry, just use 'draw inside'.