blotter

noun

blot·​ter ˈblä-tər How to pronounce blotter (audio)
1
: a piece of blotting paper
2
: a book in which entries (as of transactions or occurrences) are made temporarily pending their transfer to permanent record books
police blotter

Examples of blotter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Appeal-Democrat newspaper reported in a police blotter article last summer that Daniels was arrested on July 11 on suspicion of drug possession and violating parole, and he was booked then at the Yuba County Jail. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2026 The police blotter reports in 2026 show no abatement. Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2026 On top of it sat an ivory paper knife, pens and pencils in a jar, along with a blotter, a gooseneck lamp, and his bulky Dictaphone. Josh Ireland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 The police blotter for the Super Bowl a decade ago was relatively uneventful: About 20 arrests for drunkenness and minor disorderly conduct were recorded, and one bomb threat — deemed not credible — was made from a computer in Europe. Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blotter

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blotter was in 1591

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Cite this Entry

“Blotter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blotter. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

blotter

noun
blot·​ter ˈblät-ər How to pronounce blotter (audio)
1
: a piece of blotting paper
2
: a book in which entries are made temporarily
a police blotter

Legal Definition

blotter

noun
blot·​ter

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