Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Ink

Ink

(ĭṉk)
,
Noun.
(Mach.)
The step, or socket, in which the lower end of a millstone spindle runs.

Ink

,
Noun.
[OE.
enke
,
inke
, OF.
enque
, F.
encre
, L.
encaustum
the purple red ink with which the Roman emperors signed their edicts, Gr. [GREEK], fr. [GREEK] burnt in, encaustic, fr. [GREEK] to burn in. See
Encaustic
,
Caustic
.]
1.
A fluid, or a viscous material or preparation of various kinds (commonly black or colored), used in writing or printing.
Make there a prick with
ink
.
Chaucer.
Deformed monsters, foul and black as
ink
.
Spenser.
2.
A pigment. See
India ink
, under
India
.
☞ Ordinarily, black ink is made from nutgalls and a solution of some salt of iron, and consists essentially of a tannate or gallate of iron; sometimes indigo sulphate, or other coloring matter, is added. Other black inks contain potassium chromate, and extract of logwood, salts of vanadium, etc. Blue ink is usually a solution of Prussian blue. Red ink was formerly made from carmine (cochineal), Brazil wood, etc., but potassium eosin is now used. Also red, blue, violet, and yellow inks are largely made from aniline dyes. Indelible ink is usually a weak solution of silver nitrate, but carbon in the form of lampblack or India ink, salts of molybdenum, vanadium, etc., are also used. Sympathetic inks may be made of milk, salts of cobalt, etc. See
Sympathetic ink
(below).
Copying ink
,
a peculiar ink used for writings of which copies by impression are to be taken.
Ink bag
(Zool.)
,
an ink sac.
Ink berry
.
(Bot.)
(a)
A shrub of the Holly family (
Ilex glabra
), found in sandy grounds along the coast from New England to Florida, and producing a small black berry.
(b)
The West Indian indigo berry. See
Indigo
.
Ink plant
(Bot.)
,
a New Zealand shrub (
Coriaria thymifolia
), the berries of which yield a juice which forms an ink.
Ink powder
,
a powder from which ink is made by solution.
Ink sac
(Zool.)
,
an organ, found in most cephalopods, containing an inky fluid which can be ejected from a duct opening at the base of the siphon. The fluid serves to cloud the water, and enable these animals to escape from their enemies. See Illust. of
Dibranchiata
.
Printer’s ink
, or
Printing ink
.
See under
Printing
.
Sympathetic ink
,
a writing fluid of such a nature that what is written remains invisible till the action of a reagent on the characters makes it visible.

Ink

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Inked
(ĭṉkt)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Inking
.]
To put ink upon; to supply with ink; to blacken, color, or daub with ink.

Webster 1828 Edition


Ink

INK

,
Noun.
A black liquor or substance used for writing, generally made of an infusion of galls, copperas and gum-arabic.
1.
Any liquor used for writing or forming letters, as red ink, &c.
2.
A pigment.
Printing ink is made by boiling lintseed oil, and burning it about a minute, and mixing it with lampblack, with an addition of soap and rosin.
Ink for the rolling press, is made with lintseed oil burnt as above,and mixed with Frankfort black.
Indian ink, from China, is composed of lampblack, and size or animal glue.
Sympathetic ink, a liquor used in writing, which exhibits no color or appearance till some other means are used, such as holding it to the fire, or rubbing something over it.

INK

,
Verb.
T.
To black or daub with ink.

Definition 2024


ink

ink

See also: -ink and ink.

English

Noun

ink (usually uncountable, plural inks)

A jar of ink.
  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.
    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.
    • 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.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

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 document) (with or as if with ink).
  3. (transitive) To apply a tattoo to (someone).

Synonyms

Translations

Anagrams

See also