The act or process of inscribing. [1913 Webster]
That which is inscribed; something written or engraved; especially, a word or words written or engraved on a solid substance for preservation or public inspection; as, inscriptions on monuments, pillars, coins, medals, etc. [1913 Webster]
A line of division or intersection; as, the tendinous inscriptions, or intersections, of a muscle. [1913 Webster]
An address, consignment, or informal dedication, as of a book to a person, as a mark of respect or an invitation of patronage. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

inscription, n.
1 words inscribed, esp. on a monument, coin, stone, or in a book etc.
2 a the act of inscribing, esp. the informal dedication of a book etc. b an instance of this.

Derivative

inscriptional adj. inscriptive adj.

Etymology

ME f. L inscriptio (as INSCRIBE)

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DEVIL DICTIONARY

inscription

n. Something written on another thing. Inscriptions are of many kinds, but mostly memorial, intended to commemorate the fame of some illustrious person and hand down to distant ages the record of his services and virtues. To this class of inscriptions belongs the name of John Smith, penciled on the Washington monument. Following are examples of memorial inscriptions on tombstones: (See EPITAPH.)

"In the sky my soul is found,
And my body in the ground.
By and by my body'll rise
To my spirit in the skies,
Soaring up to Heaven's gate.
1878."

"Sacred to the memory of Jeremiah Tree. Cut down May 9th, 1862, aged 27 yrs. 4 mos. and 12 ds. Indigenous."

"Affliction sore long time she boar,
Phisicians was in vain,
Till Deth released the dear deceased
And left her a remain.
Gone to join Ananias in the regions of bliss."

"The clay that rests beneath this stone
As Silas Wood was widely known.
Now, lying here, I ask what good
It was to let me be S. Wood.
O Man, let not ambition trouble you,
Is the advice of Silas W."

"Richard Haymon, of Heaven. Fell to Earth Jan. 20, 1807, and had the dust brushed off him Oct. 3, 1874."

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THESAURUS

inscription

acknowledgments, arch, back, back matter, barrow, bastard title, bibliography, booking, boundary stone, brass, burr, bust, cairn, cataloging, catch line, catchword, cenotaph, chiseling, chronicling, colophon, column, contents, contents page, copyright page, coup de plume, cromlech, cross, cross-hatching, cryptography, cup, cyclolith, dedication, demitint, device, dolmen, endleaf, endpaper, endsheet, engravement, engraving, engrossment, enlistment, enrollment, entering, entry, epigraph, epitaph, epithet, errata, etch, etching, flyleaf, folio, footstone, fore edge, foreword, front matter, gem-engraving, glass-cutting, glyptic, grave, gravestone, graving, half tint, half-title page, hatching, head, headstone, hic jacet, hoarstone, impanelment, imprint, incision, index, indexing, initialing, ink spilling, inkslinging, inscribing, inscript, insertion, introduction, inventorying, leaf, lettering, line, lining, listing, logging, macrography, makeup, marker, marking, matriculation, mausoleum, megalith, memento, memorial, memorial arch, memorial column, memorial statue, memorial stone, menhir, micrography, monolith, monument, motto, mound, necrology, obelisk, obituary, page, pen, pen-and-ink, pencil driving, pillar, plaque, posting, preface, preliminaries, prize, pyramid, record keeping, recordation, recording, recto, register, registration, registry, reliquary, remembrance, reverso, ribbon, rostral column, running title, score, scoring, scratch, scratching, scrivenery, scrivening, secret writing, shaft, shrine, signature, slash, slashing, slogan, stela, stipple, stippling, stone, stupa, subtitle, table of contents, tablet, tabulation, tag line, tail, testimonial, text, tint, title, title page, tomb, tombstone, tombstone marking, tooling, tope, transcription, transliteration, trim size, trophy, type page, type-cutting, typewriting, typing, verso, watchword, writing

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ROGET THESAURUS

inscription

Writing

N writing, chirography, stelography, cerography, penmanship, craftmanship, quill driving, typewriting, writing, manuscript, MS, literae scriptae, these presents, stroke of the pen, dash of the pen, coupe de plume, line, headline, pen and ink, letter, uncial writing, cuneiform character, arrowhead, Ogham, Runes, hieroglyphic, contraction, Brahmi, Devanagari, Nagari, script, shorthand, stenography, brachygraphy, tachygraphy, secret writing, writing in cipher, cryptography, stenography, phonography, pasigraphy, Polygraphy, logography, copy, transcript, rescript, rough copy, fair copy, handwriting, signature, sign manual, autograph, monograph, holograph, hand, fist, calligraphy, good hand, running hand, flowing hand, cursive hand, legible hand, bold hand, cacography, griffonage, barbouillage, bad hand, cramped hand, crabbed hand, illegible hand, scribble, pattes de mouche, ill-formed letters, pothooks and hangers, stationery, pen, quill, goose quill, pencil, style, paper, foolscap, parchment, vellum, papyrus, tablet, slate, marble, pillar, table, blackboard, ink bottle, ink horn, ink pot, ink stand, ink well, typewriter, transcription, inscription, superscription, graphology, composition, authorship, cacoethes scribendi, graphoidea, graphomania, phrenoia, writer, scribe, amanuensis, scrivener, secretary, clerk, penman, copyist, transcriber, quill driver, stenographer, typewriter, typist, writer for the press, writing, written, in writing, in black and white, under one's hand, uncial, Runic, cuneiform, hieroglyphical, currente calamo, pen in hand, audacter et sincere, le style est l'homme meme, nature's noblest gift - my gray goose quill, scribendi recte sapere et principium et fons, that mighty instrument of little men, the pen became a clarion.

Record

N record, trace, vestige, relic, remains, scar, cicatrix, footstep, footmark, footprint, pug, track mark, wake, trail, scent, piste, monument, hatchment, slab, tablet, trophy, achievement, obelisk, pillar, column, monolith, memorial, memento, testimonial, medal, commemoration, record, note, minute, register, registry, roll, cartulary, diptych, Domesday book, catalogue raisonne, entry, memorandum, indorsement, inscription, copy, duplicate, docket, notch, muniment, deed, document, deposition, proces verbal, affidavit, certificate, notebook, memorandum book, memo book, pocketbook, commonplace book, portfolio, pigeonholes, excerpta, adversaria, jottings, dottings, gazette, gazetteer, newspaper, daily, magazine, almanac, almanack, calendar, ephemeris, diary, log, journal, daybook, ledger, cashbook, petty cashbook, professional journal, scientific literature, the literature, primary literature, secondary literature, article, review article, archive, scroll, state paper, return, blue book, statistics, compte rendu, Acts of, Transactions of, Proceedings of, Hansard's Debates, chronicle, annals, legend, history, biography, Congressional Records, registration, registry, enrollment, inrollment, tabulation, entry, booking, signature, recorder, journalism, recording, tape recording, videotape, compact disk, floppy disk, diskette, hard disk, Winchester disk, read-only memory, ROM, write once read mostly memory, WORM, on record, exegi monumentum aere perennium, read their history in a nation's eyes, records that defy the tooth of time.

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