In literal craft, engrave refers to incising lines into metal, wood, stone, or another hard surface. In poetry, the word often carries connotations of permanence, memory, and exactness, as if words were cut into the mind or the page. It belongs in craft terms because it links artistic making with physical mark-making.

Engrave emphasizes permanence and deliberate, careful inscription, often used metaphorically to describe language or memory that becomes lasting and unchangeable; the term is closely associated with epitaphs and monumental inscriptions, and instructors might discuss how poets play with the literal practice of engraving stone alongside figurative claims about experiences being engraved on the heart or mind, drawing attention to the tension between physical and emotional permanence; this term pairs well with incise and chisel in discussions of craft terms related to carving and lasting marks.