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
- 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.
Isidora was Greek, and her name is etched in black ink on the left side of the red-tinted fragments of wrapping that still adhere to her portrait.
Quickly he grabbed a pen and began inking over the words.
From Literature
“It’s like a rubber stamp. Right? The kind with ink, you know?”
From Literature
"And I have the solution to this little dilemma. Rowan can hold the map while I copy it, with my own ink on my own paper."
From Literature
It reminded Danny of the time he was in art class and dropped a bit of ink in a water cup.
From Literature
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.
