To create a sunken or indented design on a surface by pressing or stamping inward.
Formed from 'de-' (inward, reverse) and 'boss' (a raised protuberance), creating the opposite of emboss. The term is relatively modern, emerging in technical and manufacturing contexts.
Deboss is the perfect inverse of emboss—while emboss pushes outward to create a raised design, deboss pushes inward to create a depression, showing how English loves these paired opposites that describe mirror-image actions.
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