ink
Americannoun
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a fluid or viscous substance used for writing or printing.
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a dark, protective fluid ejected by the cuttlefish and other cephalopods.
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Slang. a tattoo or tattoos.
Oh, nice, you got new ink!
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Informal. publicity, especially in print media.
Their construction plans got some ink in the local paper.
verb (used with object)
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to mark, stain, cover, or smear with ink.
to ink one's clothes.
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Informal. to sign one's name to (an official document).
We expect to ink the contract tomorrow.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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a fluid or paste used for printing, writing, and drawing
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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
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to mark with ink
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to coat (a printing surface) with ink
Other Word Forms
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”; see encaustic
Explanation
Ink is a colored liquid that you use to write with on paper. When you sign on the dotted line, you usually do so with ink. You'll usually find ink inside a pen, automatically flowing through its tip, although years ago people had to dip a quill into a pot of ink to write with ink. Other ways ink is used include printing images, stamping information, and drawing pictures. Another ink is the fluid released by certain mollusks, like squids, to hide them from predators. Ink, from the Old French encre, "dark writing fluid," has the Greek root enkaiein, "to burn in."
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.
Bleeding red ink and having been slow to transition to EVs and hybrids, Nissan embarked in late 2024 on a painful restructuring effort to close factories and cut 20,000 jobs by 2028.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
“As of now, the government has not received any reports indicating that immediate supply issues are expected for printing ink or naphtha,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato said Tuesday at a news conference.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Japanese snack giant Calbee says it will temporarily switch to black and white packaging for some of its best-known products as supplies of an ingredient used in ink have been disrupted by the Iran war.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
But it is hard not to step back from it and see something much simpler taking shape underneath all that ink.
From Slate • May 8, 2026
It is a spacious house, but what I like best is the scent of ink and paper and books filling the air with hopefulness.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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.
