India ink
Americannoun
-
a black pigment consisting of lampblack mixed with glue or size.
-
a liquid ink from this.
Etymology
Origin of India ink
First recorded in 1655–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Victorian-era collections are true works of art, with purple, red, brown and green algae arranged in eye-catching patterns on sturdy white card and signed in flowing India ink.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 27, 2020
Visitors can see the pencil lines beneath the India ink, and the white-out on top.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 15, 2020
“There’s a white lime coating underneath . and they put black India ink on top.”
From Washington Times ● Apr. 24, 2016
They are made of plywood with the letters stenciled in India ink.
From Slate ● Jan. 17, 2013
Using a second needle, Southam tattooed a tiny speck of India ink next to the small bump that formed at the HeLa injection site.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.