1. the craft or process of decorating a surface by embedding pieces of contrasting material into it

1. present participle of inlay; embedding decorative pieces of material into a surface

Examples

• The artisan spent months inlaying mother-of-pearl into the jewelry box.
• Inlaying requires precision and patience to achieve beautiful results.
• The furniture maker was inlaying ebony strips into the mahogany table.
• Traditional inlaying techniques have been passed down for generations.
• She learned the art of inlaying from her grandfather.
• The guitar’s fretboard featured intricate inlaying of abalone shell.
• Inlaying different woods creates stunning geometric patterns.