ink

[ ingk ]

noun

1. a fluid or viscous substance used for writing or printing.
2. a dark, protective fluid ejected by the cuttlefish and other cephalopods.
3. Slang. a tattoo or tattoos:

   Oh, nice, you got new ink!

4. Informal. publicity, especially in print media:

   Their construction plans got some ink in the local paper.

verb (used with object)

1. to mark, stain, cover, or smear with ink:

   to ink one's clothes.

2. Informal. to sign one's name to (an official document):

   We expect to ink the contract tomorrow.

verb (used with or without object)

1. Slang. to mark (the skin) with tattoos:

   The team agreed that they would all get inked if they brought home the championship this year.

ink

/ ɪŋk /

noun

1. a fluid or paste used for printing, writing, and drawing
2. a dark brown fluid ejected into the water for self-concealment by an octopus or related mollusc from a gland ( ink sac ) near the anus

verb

1. to mark with ink
2. to coat (a printing surface) with ink

ink

/ ĭngk /

1. A dark liquid ejected for protection by most cephalopods, including the octopus and squid. Ink consists of highly concentrated melanin.

Derived Forms

• ˈinker, noun

Other Words From

• ink·er noun
• ink·less adjective
• ink·like adjective
• re·ink verb (used with object)
• un·inked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ink¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English inke, inc, enke, from Old French enca, enque, ancre, from Late Latin encautum, variant of encaustum “burnt in, painted in,” from Greek énkauston “purple ink (used for imperial signatures),” noun use of neuter of énkaustos “burnt in”; encaustic

Word History and Origins

Origin of ink¹

C13: from Old French enque, from Late Latin encaustum a purplish-red ink, from Greek enkauston purple ink, from enkaustos burnt in, from enkaiein to burn in; see en- ², caustic

Example Sentences

Much ink has been spilled over the wonky science and plot contrivances of Interstellar.

From The Daily Beast

Powdered ink would adhere to the charged image and then it would be pressed via heat onto paper.

From The Daily Beast

The edges of the elegant paper are crackled; the ink bled into the linen weave long ago and has not faded.

From The Daily Beast

A lot of ink will continue to be spilled about the first-order problems surrounding that fact.

From The Daily Beast

His ink ranges from images of his children to the Superman logo (that one seems especially fitting given his leaping blocks).

From The Daily Beast

She also practises etching, pen-and-ink drawing, as well as crayon and water-color sketching.

From Project Gutenberg

And, old ink pot, tuck a horse blanket under my chin, and rub me down with brickbats while I feed!

From Project Gutenberg

Maype he trinks ret ink gocktails, like de Injuns; maype he trinks Florita Vater, oder golone.

From Project Gutenberg

Her mother, wearing an ink-stained jacket, was busy at her desk, the pen scratching on the big sheets of pad paper.

From Project Gutenberg

Her hair was black as India ink, drawn back from her rounded forehead to knot softly at the back of her head.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• appoint
• bring in
• draft
• employ
• engage
• enlist
• lease
• obtain
• pick
• promise
• rent
• retain
• select