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
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
More like police blotter behavior.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blotter
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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
More like police blotter behavior.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blotter
Cite this Entry
“Blotter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blotter. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
blotter
noun
blot·ter
ˈblät-ər 
1
: a piece of blotting paper
2
: a book in which entries are made temporarily
a police blotter
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