blotter

[ blot-er ]
See synonyms for blotter on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a piece of blotting paper used to absorb excess ink, to protect a desk top, etc.

  2. a book in which transactions or events, as sales or arrests, are recorded as they occur: a police blotter.

  1. Machinery. a soft washer of blotting paper or felt for cushioning a brittle object against shock or pressure or for increasing the friction or contact area between two surfaces.

Origin of blotter

1
1585–95; 1887 for def. 2; blot1 + -er1

Words Nearby blotter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use blotter in a sentence

  • Edna opened the blotter, and having procured paper and pen, began to write the note.

  • Then I held the paper below it, pressed the paw down, and made a signature, wiping the paw afterward with a blotter.

    The Idyl of Twin Fires | Walter Prichard Eaton
  • They will quickly dry in this manner and will not become moldy, as the blotter soaks up the moisture.

  • The boss was sitting back in his chair and making little rings on the desk blotter with the point of his letter-opener.

    The Wreckers | Francis Lynde
  • Courtney laid the paper-cutter carefully on the blotter, and drawing out his cigarette case, he selected one and slowly lit it.

British Dictionary definitions for blotter

blotter

/ (ˈblɒtə) /


noun
  1. something used to absorb excess ink or other liquid, esp a sheet of blotting paper with a firm backing

  2. US a daily record of events, such as arrests, in a police station (esp in the phrase police blotter)

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