emboss
/ɪmˈbɒs/
"emboss" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“emboss” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause (something) to stick out or swell; to extrude; also, to cause (someone or something) to be covered in swellings.
Corpus desk
Index EN-emboss · emboss · English
emboss · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "E" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | emboss |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɪmˈbɒs/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “emboss” in English
Rare enough to double-check
emboss is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪmˈbɒs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for emboss in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: 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… The correct English form is emboss, spelled E-M-B-O-S-S.
Definition
- 1To cause (something) to stick out or swell; to extrude; also, to cause (someone or something) to be covered in swellings.
- 2To make (a design on a coin, an ornament on an object, etc.) stand out from a surface.
- 3To represent (a subject) on an object in relief; also, of a design or subject: to stand out on (an object) in relief.
- 4To decorate or mark (something) with a design or symbol in relief.
- 5To decorate (something) with bosses (“ornamental convex protuberances”); to boss; hence, to decorate (something) richly.
- 6To cause (something) to be prominent or stand out.
- 7To make (speech, etc.) unduly bombastic or grand.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how emboss appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
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; […]
His Cattel muſt of Rot and Murren die, / Botches and blaines muſt all his fleſh imboſs, / And all his people; […]
Etymology
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.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.