blotting paper

American  

noun

1. a soft, absorbent, unsized paper, used especially to dry the ink on a piece of writing.

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blotting paper British  

noun

1. a soft absorbent unsized paper, used esp for soaking up surplus ink

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Etymology

Origin of blotting paper

First recorded in 1510–20

Example Sentences

He was subsequently handed blotting paper by a pink salwar kameez-clad Ripa, whose husband, actor Mark Consuelos, pat the table to the beat.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 24, 2022

His grandmother ritualistically prepares stationery and blotting paper to write letters to relations from County Kerry to America.

From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2019

The phenomenon was first noticed in blotting paper by a man named Frederic Ferdinand Runge in 1855 - he was so taken by his "self-painting pictures" that he wrote the book on them. 

From Scientific American • Jul. 2, 2017

Dabbing your face with a blotting paper before donning a VR headset can also help by cutting back on the amount of oil that will transfer from face to 'set.

From The Verge • Jul. 8, 2016

Pulling open a drawer, Tanin plucked out some blotting paper and dabbed it against her neck, but there was little blood.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee