inscribe

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

inscribe — 動詞

  • 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

刻；銘刻

在硬物表面刻寫文字，使之長久保存

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.

Hui 請珠寶師在銀戒指內側刻上她祖母的生日。

inscribe + object + inside/on + surface

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

每一位陣亡士兵的名字都刻在公園後方那道長長的花崗岩牆上。

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

登錄；列名

正式將姓名列入名冊或登記簿

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.

每位新公民在宣誓那天都會被登錄到鎮上的戶籍簿。

passive: be inscribed in + register

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

Élise 在上週的會議中被列名為歷史學會的表決會員。

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

題贈；題字

在書本扉頁寫下短語贈與特定對象

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.

Tanvi 請那位作家把這本小說題贈給她妹妹 Anong。

inscribe + book + to + recipient

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

這位詩人在新詩集的每一本上都題寫了一句不同的短詩。

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

內接

在幾何中於另一圖形內畫圖形，使其盡量接觸

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.

Isabela 在一個圓裡內接一個正六邊形，每個頂點都剛好碰到圓弧。

inscribe + shape + in + shape

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

正方形可以內接於圓中，使四個頂點都恰好落在圓周上。

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'.