Wiktionary

ink

See also: -ink and ink.

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

 
A jar of ink (sense 1)

From Middle English ynke, from Old French enque, from Latin encaustum (“purple ink used by Roman emperors to sign documents”), from Ancient Greek ἔγκαυστον (énkauston, “burned-in”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + καίω (kaíō, “burn”). In this sense, displaced native Old English blæc (“ink”, literally “black”).

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

ink (usually uncountable, plural inks)

  1. A pigment (or dye)-based fluid used for writing, printing etc.
  2. (countable) A particular type, color or container of this fluid.
  3. The black or dark-colored fluid ejected by squid, octopus etc, as a protective strategy.
  4. (slang, uncountable) Publicity.
    Synonyms: ballyhoo, flak, hoopla, hype, plug, spotlight
    The TSA has been getting a lot of ink lately.
    • 1999, Washington Post (4 June 1999)
      [Judith] Hope [...] has been getting ink by the barrelful with her regular interviews quoting conversations with the first lady, on subjects ranging from Senate ambitions to summer and post-White House living arrangements.
  5. (slang, uncountable) Tattoo work.
    Synonym: paint
    • 1998, Richard Dooling, Brain Storm:
      "I saw it hanging on the wall of a tattoo hut where I went to get some ink done ten years ago," he stuttered, flushing in splotches and squirming in his chair.
    • 1998, The Offspring, Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) (song)
      Now he's getting a tattoo.
      Yeah, he's getting ink done.
      He asked for a 13,
      But they drew a 31.
  6. (slang) Cheap red wine.

Alternative formsEdit

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

VerbEdit

ink (third-person singular simple present inks, present participle inking, simple past and past participle inked)

  1. (transitive) To apply ink to; to cover or smear with ink.
  2. (transitive) To sign (a contract or similar document).
    • December 13 2021, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger and Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time Magazine‎[1]:
      Before Musk, America’s space industry was moribund. In 2011, NASA mothballed the last space shuttle, after inking a deal with SpaceX to make uncrewed cargo resupply runs to the International Space Station (ISS).
  3. (transitive) To apply a tattoo to (someone).
  4. (intransitive, of a squid or octopus) to eject ink (sense 3)

SynonymsEdit

TranslationsEdit

See alsoEdit

AnagramsEdit

AfrikaansEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Dutch inkt

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

ink (plural inkte or inke)

  1. ink

VerbEdit

ink (present ink, present participle inkende, past participle geïnk)

  1. to ink

Middle EnglishEdit

PronounEdit

ink

  1. Alternative form of inc
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