inscription

/ɪnˈskrɪpʃn/ (bre, ipa) · [ˌɪnskrˈɪpʃən] /ɪnˈskrɪpʃn/ (ame, ipa) · [ˌɪnskrˈɪpʃən] /in-ˈskrip-shən How to pronounce inscription (audio)/ (ame, mw)

inscription — noun

  • inscriptionsingular
  • inscriptionsplural

1. a piece of wording carved, engraved, or written onto a surface such as stone, me

1.名詞C1
釋義

a piece of wording carved, engraved, or written onto a surface such as stone, metal, glass, or wood.

例句

The inscription on the old bell was faint after decades of sea air.

'inscription on [object]' for wording visible on a surface

Wei copied the Latin inscription from the museum coin into his notebook.

copy an inscription from a historical object

同義詞
  • engraving

    often stresses words cut into hard material rather than simply written there

  • lettering

    can focus on the style of the letters, not just the message

  • wording

    focuses on the text itself and not the carved or visual form

文法句型

inscription on something

inscription inside something

用法筆記

Usually appears with a surface or object after 'on', 'in', or 'inside'. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 is the wording already visible on the object itself, not a personal dedication added when giving it.

2. a few personal words written in a book, on a photograph, or on a work of art whe

2.名詞C1
釋義

a few personal words written in a book, on a photograph, or on a work of art when giving it to someone.

例句

Lakshmi smiled at the inscription inside the cookbook from her aunt.

inscription inside a gift item

The gallery asked guests to keep their inscriptions brief and personal.

plural inscriptions written for an event

同義詞
  • dedication

    broader; can mean a whole dedicatory page or the act of dedicating

  • message

    everyday and general, without the literary or ceremonial flavour

  • note

    short and informal, often less special than an inscription

文法句型

inscription in a book

inscription on a photo

用法筆記

This sense is about a short dedicatory message added for a particular person. Distinguish from sense 1: a gift inscription is written by someone for a recipient, not fixed wording that belongs to the object itself.

3. the process of writing, carving, or engraving words onto a surface.

3.名詞C2
釋義

the process of writing, carving, or engraving words onto a surface.

例句

The slow inscription of each letter took the apprentice all afternoon.

'inscription of each letter' naming the process itself

Inscription of the memorial stone began after the family approved the wording.

formal noun use for the act of carving text

同義詞
  • engraving

    often implies cutting into a hard material with tools

  • carving

    broader physical cutting, not always limited to words

  • writing

    much broader and can be done with ink rather than by cutting

文法句型

inscription of something

inscription on a surface

用法筆記

Most common in formal, historical, or technical writing. Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense names the action or process rather than the finished words you can read.