ink

1 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
: a colored usually liquid material for writing and printing
2
: the black protective secretion of a cephalopod
3
4
informal : one or more tattoos on a person's body
Whether or not it's your cup of meat, the proliferation of body-art mags suggests that a slew of folks have ink, and they didn't get it from reading the newspaper.Albert Mobilio
inkiness noun
inky adjective

ink

2 of 2

verb

inked; inking; inks

transitive verb

1
a
: to put ink on
ink a pen
ink a printing block
b
: to draw or write in ink
ink a design
often used with in
carefully inked in the letters
c
: to obliterate with ink
usually used with out
inked out many lines
2
US, informal
a
: to affix one's signature to : sign sense 2a
an athlete who has inked a new contract
b
: to engage or hire by securing the signature of (someone) on a contract : sign sense 4
… has been inked to do the part of a judge in an HBO special …Marge Crumbaker
3
informal : tattoo
… got himself an elaborate tattoo, his first, inked along his right shoulder …S. L. Price
Kaufman plans on inking a tat to memorialize his accident.Micah Abrams
His heavily muscled arms are inked shoulder to wrist.Eve Conant

Examples of ink in a Sentence

Noun Fill out the form using blue or black ink. The printer is out of ink. We're using four different inks for this poster. Verb They just inked a new partnership agreement. the basketball star just inked a two-year contract with the most celebrated franchise in the NBA
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
They’re not recommended for children under 3 years old, but the ink is safe and non-toxic for little ones. Maya Polton, Parents, 18 Mar. 2024 The ink on some tributes has faded, but the messages endure. Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 The climb of Kohl’s Plenty of ink has been spilled about the death of the department store, mainly thanks to the onset of fast fashion and online shopping. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 But then Lamy corrected the record, saying that the two inks were indeed different. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 It was deemed a vital business driver and commanded above-the-fold ink not that long ago. Guy Courtin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Both the character and her ink take on a special symbolic significance, reminding characters and audiences alike about the importance of overcoming the fears that hold us back. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 24 Feb. 2024 When The New York Times reached out to the pen manufacturer, Lamy confirmed that the inks were slightly different, citing the fact that some ingredients from the original are no longer available. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 Using a nearly monochromatic mix of black ink and photographic stills, Kantor imagines the moment when Haim escaped a group of Nazis by hiding in a pigsty. Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has inked a deal to house its growing oncology business in a new, palatial San Diego estate overlooking the ocean. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2024 The house has also inked a deal with Air France to make the Moxie Pictures short film available on all flights throughout the month of April. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 In addition to working on their nonprofit organization, the Archewell Foundation, Meghan and Harry have inked deals with major companies like Netflix and Spotify. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Nashville’s Big Loud Records has inked a multi-year distribution deal with Mercury Records/Republic for all releases, effective immediately. Melinda Newman, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 Since 2022, the Philippines has inked new defense agreements with the European Union, India and Britain. Regine Cabato, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 That’s on top of inking Duke product Marques Bolden to a two-way contract just two days after waiving him. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2024 Netflix has inked multi-title deals with a dizzying range of African creators, while Showmax plans to unveil more than 1,300 hours of original African programming on the service in 2024 alone. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 More:Ford inks deal selling 1,000 electric F-150 Lightnings, Mustang Mach-E SUVs Ford has sold 165,940 electric vehicles from December 2020 through January 2024, including the Mach-E SUV, F-150 Lightning pickup and E-Transit van, Erich Merkle, Ford U.S. sales analyst, told the Free Press on Friday. Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ink.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English enke, from Anglo-French encre, enke, from Late Latin encaustum, from neuter of Latin encaustus burned in, from Greek enkaustos, verbal of enkaiein to burn in — more at encaustic

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ink was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near ink

Cite this Entry

“Ink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ink. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ink

1 of 2 noun
1
: a usually liquid material for writing or printing
2
: the black protective secretion of a cephalopod

ink

2 of 2 verb
1
: to put ink on
2
: to write or draw in ink
inker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ink

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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