ink

[ ingk ]
See synonyms for ink on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a fluid or viscous substance used for writing or printing.

  2. a dark, protective fluid ejected by the cuttlefish and other cephalopods.

  1. Slang. a tattoo or tattoos: Oh, nice, you got new ink!

  2. 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.

Origin of ink

1
First recorded in1200–50; 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”; see encaustic

Other words from ink

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ink in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ink

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(tr)
  1. to mark with ink

  2. to coat (a printing surface) with ink

Origin of ink

1
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

Derived forms of ink

  • inker, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for ink

ink

[ ĭngk ]


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

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.