ink

1 of 2

noun

ˈiŋk 

often attributive

1

: a colored usually liquid material for writing and printing

2

: the black protective secretion of a cephalopod

3

slang : publicity sense 2d

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

ˈiŋ-kē-nəs 

noun

inky

ˈiŋ-kē 

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

Synonyms of ink

Verb

• sign

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

Elsewhere, staff roam hallways in search of toner cartridges and ink. —Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026

And there’s that quesadilla negro with the squid-ink tortilla and the short rib and the green goddess, the quesadilla that dares you to call it bar food. —Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Apr. 2026

Verb

Philadelphia needed an edge rusher, especially after Jaelen Phillips inked a massive free-agent deal with the Carolina Panthers. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026

Though the deal was agreed to in 2025, no commitment was inked. —News Desk, Artforum, 24 Apr. 2026

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

Phrases Containing ink

• drowning/awash in red ink
• india ink
• Indian ink
• ink-blot
• ink in
• ink-jet
• ink-jet printer
• ink pad
• invisible ink
• red ink

Rhymes for ink

• blink
• brink
• chink
• cinque
• clink
• dink
• drink
• fink
• hink
• kink
• klink
• link

Kids Definition

ink

1 of 2 noun

ˈiŋk 

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