inlay

inlay with (something)

To cut into a surface and then fill the space with a decorative material or design. A noun or pronoun can be used between "inlay" and "with." Look at how this fretboard is inlaid with mother-of-pearl—how beautiful! It's a mosaic, so it's inlaid with shimmering bits of glass and tile. Did you see that exquisite necklace inlaid with rubies?

See also: inlay

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

inlay something with something

to decorate something by cutting in a design and filling the cut with some decorative substance. The workers inlaid the tabletop with bits of polished seashell. The tabletop was inlaid with a lovely design.

See also: inlay

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.