ink
English
Etymology
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”).
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. enPR: ĭngk, IPA(key): /ɪŋk/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GA" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E., IPA(key): /iŋk/
Audio (GA): (file) - Homophone: inc.
- Rhymes: -ɪŋk
Noun
ink (usually uncountable, plural inks)
- A pigment (or dye)-based fluid used for writing, printing etc.
- 1667 May 6 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “April 26th, 1667”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume VI, London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1895, →OCLC, page 285:
- While I was waiting for him in the Matted Gallery, a young man was most finely working in Indian inke the great picture of the King and Queen sitting [Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France], by Van Dyke [Anthony van Dyck]; and did it very finely.
- (countable) A particular type, color or container of this fluid.
- The black or dark-colored fluid ejected by squid, octopus etc, as a protective strategy.
- (slang, uncountable) Publicity.
- Synonyms: ballyhoo, flak, hoopla, hype, plug, spotlight
- The TSA has been getting a lot of ink lately.
- to get ink
- 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.
- (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, “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)”, performed by The Offspring:
- Now he's getting a tattoo / Yeah, he's getting ink done / He asked for a 13, / But they drew a 31
- (slang) Cheap red wine.
Alternative forms
- inke (obsolete)
Derived terms
Translations
coloured fluid used for writing
|
dark fluid ejected by squid etc
|
Verb
ink (third-person singular simple present inks, present participle inking, simple past and past participle inked)
- (transitive) To apply ink to; to cover or smear with ink.
- (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).
- (transitive) To apply a tattoo to (someone).
- (intransitive, of a squid or octopus) to eject ink (sense 3)
Synonyms
Translations
apply ink
sign a document
apply a tattoo
See also
Further reading
Anagrams
Afrikaans
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
- ink
Verb
ink (present ink, present participle inkende, past participle geïnk)
- to ink
Middle English
Pronoun
ink
- Alternative form of inc
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English terms with homophones
- Rhymes:English/ɪŋk
- Rhymes:English/ɪŋk/1 syllable
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- English slang
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with collocations
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- en:Liquids
- en:Writing
- Afrikaans terms inherited from Dutch
- Afrikaans terms derived from Dutch
- Afrikaans terms with IPA pronunciation
- Afrikaans lemmas
- Afrikaans nouns
- Afrikaans verbs
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English pronouns