Definition of etches:
(v) :
(figuratively) To make a lasting impression.
(v) :
To cut into a surface with an acid or other corrosive substance in order to make a pattern. Best known as a technique for creating printing plates, but also used for decoration on metal, and, in modern industry, to make circuit boards.
(v) :
To engrave a surface.
(v) :
To sketch; to delineate.
(n) :
Obsolete form of eddish. [An aftergrowth of grass (or other plants) which grows after it has been mowed; also, a field of such growth.]