Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

ink

American  
[ingk] / ɪŋk /

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 British  
/ 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

"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

verb

  1. to mark with ink

  2. to coat (a printing surface) with ink

"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
ink Scientific  
/ ĭngk /

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

Other Word Forms

  • inker noun
  • inkless adjective
  • inklike adjective
  • reink verb (used with object)
  • uninked adjective

Etymology

Origin of ink

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

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.

One bright red poster read “Bring Buffy Back!!” scrawled in black ink.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

They produced a lot of red ink in the company’s portfolio last year, as Occidental’s stock slumped.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

Now, with the ink still wet on my mortgage, I remembered I’d have to fix things myself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Paintings commemorating Diogo Jota have been unveiled at Molineux Stadium - created using ink from floral tributes laid at the ground by fans.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

Dasch showed him the plain white handkerchief and told him about the invisible ink.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

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.