EMBOSSING, or IMBOSSING, in Architecture and Sculpture, the forming or fashioning of works in relief, whether cut with a chisel or otherwise. Embossing is a kind of sculpture in which the figure stands out from the plane on which it is cut; and according as the figures are more or less prominent, they are said to be in alto, mezzo, or basso-relievo; or high, intermediate, or low relief.