inlay: Meaning and Definition of

in•lay

1. to decorate (an object) with layers of fine materials set in its surface: to inlay a chest with lighter wood.
2. to insert or apply (layers of fine materials) in the surface of an object: to inlay marble in a tabletop.
3. to place (a fitted scion) into a prepared stock, as in a method of grafting.

1. inlaid work.
2. a layer of fine material inserted in something else, esp. for ornament.
3. a design or decoration made by inlaying.
4. a filling of metal, porcelain, or the like, that is first shaped to fit a cavity and then cemented into it.
5. See
6. the act or process of inlaying.