Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To set (a gem, for example).
  • transitive verb To set with or as if with gems.
  • transitive verb To decorate or ornament by inlaying or engraving.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To drive or chase away.
  • To inlay; incrust with precious stones or the like.
  • Hence To incrust or enrich in any manner; adorn by ornamental additions or by ornamental work.
  • To chase, as metal-work. See chase, 1.
  • To inclose or contain as something enchased.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To incase or inclose in a border or rim; to surround with an ornamental casing, as a gem with gold; to encircle; to inclose; to adorn.
  • transitive verb To chase; to ornament by embossing or engraving.
  • transitive verb obsolete To delineate or describe, as by writing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To set (a gemstone etc) into.
  • verb figuratively To be a setting for.
  • verb To decorate with jewels, or with inlaid ornament.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, to engrave, from Old French enchasser, to set gems : en-, in; see en– + chasse, case (from Latin capsa, box).]

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Examples

  • And how meanly soever we account of their Mill-stones; yet there they drill them, and enchase them in Rings, which afterward they send to the great Soldane, and have whatsoever they will demaund for them.

    The Decameron 2004

  • We soon left behind the ominous cone of Vesuvius, reported by the best judges to be at present in so unsound a state that nothing can prevent its early fall; sunset left us near the grand precipices of Anacapri, and morning found us with Ustica on our beam, and the semicircle of mountains which enchase the gem of Palermo gradually unfolding their beauties.

    The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 06, No. 34, August, 1860 Various

  • Fresh washed in lofty ocean waves, he doth the sky enchase.

    From Chaucer to Tennyson 1886

  • To chase, or enchase, is not properly said of the gold; but of the jewel which it secures with hoops or ridges, (French, _en_chasser [O]).

    Ariadne Florentina Six Lectures on Wood and Metal Engraving John Ruskin 1859

  • She may turn out to be a pearl of a wife, this young lady whom you are requested to enchase in gold.

    Majoor Frans. English James [Translator] Akeroyd 1849

  • As his parts were extraordinary, so he well knew how to improve them; and not only to polish the diamond, but enchase it in the most solid and durable metal.

    The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland Cibber, Theophilus, 1703-1758 1753

  • As his parts were extraordinary, so he well knew how to improve them; and not only to polish the diamond, but enchase it in the most solid and durable metal.

    Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 Samuel Johnson 1746

  • Sohne stylist is amazing talent and the design idea again refreshingly unideological: platinum enchase 256 diamond, 379 purple black sapphire, six A.stralia opal and 6 ruby let "dragon" yi yi is unripe brightness, with different sizes of diamond gradient of technology which has sculpture, dragon, hollow-out the gems to design makes the light through the whole day, "dragon" crystal fully, lifelike.

    VInvesting.com cheaprolexwatches 2010

  • Sohne stylist is amazing talent and the design idea again refreshingly unideological: platinum enchase 256 diamond, 379 purple black sapphire, six A.stralia opal and 6 ruby let "dragon" yi yi is unripe brightness, with different sizes of diamond gradient of technology which has sculpture, dragon, hollow-out the gems to design makes the light through the whole day, "dragon" crystal fully, lifelike.

    VInvesting.com cheaprolexwatches 2010

  • Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has ordered additional measures to enchase antiterrorist security of military objects in the Southern Military District of Russia, official spokesman for the Ministry, Col. Aleksei Kuznetsov said.

    RIA Novosti 2010

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