ink
1 of 2noun
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
Albert Mobilio inkiness
ˈiŋ-kē-nəs
noun inky
ˈiŋ-kē
adjective ink
2 of 2verb
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
Marge Crumbaker3
informal : tattoo
… got himself an elaborate tattoo, his first, inked along his right shoulder … S. L. Price
S. L. PriceKaufman plans on inking a tat to memorialize his accident. Micah Abrams
Micah AbramsHis heavily muscled arms are inked shoulder to wrist. Eve Conant
Eve Conant
Synonyms
Verb
- autograph
- sign
- subscribe
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Matt Ford, The New Republic, 29 Aug. 2022 In a similar credit-grab, Kushner gives only a small amount of ink to the role of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill. Elizabeth Spiers, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022 Some are accentuated by thin lines of ink, while others appear only as traces. Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2022 Brand purpose gets a lot of ink as consumers look to support the companies that align with their own values. Mary Meehan, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Barrels of ink have been spilled accusing the Fed of boosting stock prices, and thus the rich, by keeping interest rates low. Roger Lowenstein, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 At its core, Mariquita is a gravestone made of ink on paper, built by a son for his mother. Lenika Cruz, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2022 Gallons of ink have been spilled and digital space used to catalog the off-field problems and allegations that have plagued Washington’s football team under Snyder. Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 29 July 2022 Each bit of ink applied to the lake map, a memory preserved. Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2022 Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2022 The size of the deal wasn’t disclosed, but Brunson is among a handful of Black talent to ink such an agreement. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2022 Pompeo has continued to ink new deals to return to the Shonda Rhimes drama but has also been vocal about the show’s endgame. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Aug. 2022 The series was poised to end with season eight, but both the network and studio were able to ink leading man Gustin and co-stars including Candice Patton to new deals. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Aug. 2022 Any front office in a position to take a risk may be willing to ink the forward to a contract, but negotiating with so many factors at play could be challenging. Tony East, Forbes, 20 June 2022 Sweeney will try to ink him to a deal of 5-8 years, at least at the same value as Charlie McAvoy ($9.5 million). Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 16 May 2022 State corrections officials are looking to launch a prison tattoo program in hopes of curbing bloodborne diseases as inmates ink themselves with homemade tools. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2022 Paolo Banchero lifted the right sleeve of his black hooded sweatshirt to point out the green tattoo ink on his forearm. New York Times, 23 June 2022 See More
Noun
Historians and political scientists have drained oceans of ink while trying to define which political figures and movements were fascist. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 29 Aug. 2022 In a similar credit-grab, Kushner gives only a small amount of ink to the role of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill. Elizabeth Spiers, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022 Some are accentuated by thin lines of ink, while others appear only as traces. Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2022 Brand purpose gets a lot of ink as consumers look to support the companies that align with their own values. Mary Meehan, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Barrels of ink have been spilled accusing the Fed of boosting stock prices, and thus the rich, by keeping interest rates low. Roger Lowenstein, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 At its core, Mariquita is a gravestone made of ink on paper, built by a son for his mother. Lenika Cruz, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2022 Gallons of ink have been spilled and digital space used to catalog the off-field problems and allegations that have plagued Washington’s football team under Snyder. Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 29 July 2022 Each bit of ink applied to the lake map, a memory preserved. Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2022 Verb
Gail Golec, who lost her bid for a seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, told followers that ink from the county pens could not be trusted. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2022 The size of the deal wasn’t disclosed, but Brunson is among a handful of Black talent to ink such an agreement. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2022 Pompeo has continued to ink new deals to return to the Shonda Rhimes drama but has also been vocal about the show’s endgame. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Aug. 2022 The series was poised to end with season eight, but both the network and studio were able to ink leading man Gustin and co-stars including Candice Patton to new deals. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Aug. 2022 Any front office in a position to take a risk may be willing to ink the forward to a contract, but negotiating with so many factors at play could be challenging. Tony East, Forbes, 20 June 2022 Sweeney will try to ink him to a deal of 5-8 years, at least at the same value as Charlie McAvoy ($9.5 million). Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 16 May 2022 State corrections officials are looking to launch a prison tattoo program in hopes of curbing bloodborne diseases as inmates ink themselves with homemade tools. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2022 Paolo Banchero lifted the right sleeve of his black hooded sweatshirt to point out the green tattoo ink on his forearm. New York Times, 23 June 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
ink
noun
ˈiŋk
: a liquid material used for writing or printing
inked
verb
as in signed
to write one's name on (as a document) the basketball star just inked a two-year contract with the most celebrated franchise in the NBA Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- signed
- autographed
- subscribed
- countersigned
- endorsed
- penned
- scrawled
- scribbled
- signed on
- cosigned
- inscribed
- signed up
- authored
- registered
- notarized
- indorsed
- pencilled (in)
- penciled (in)
- scratched (out)