ink

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”).

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: ĭngk, IPA^(key): /ɪŋk/
• (pre-/ŋ/ tensing), IPA^(key): /iŋk/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Homophone: inc.
• Rhymes: -ɪŋk

ink (usually uncountable, plural inks)

1. 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.

2. (countable) A particular type, color or container of this fluid.
3. The black or dark-colored fluid ejected by squid, octopus etc, as a protective strategy.
4. (slang, uncountable) Publicity.

   Synonyms: ballyhoo, flak, hoopla, hype, plug, spotlight

   to get ink

   The TSA has been getting a lot of ink lately.

   • 1999 June 4, Washington Post:

     [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.

5. (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

6. (slang) Cheap red wine.

• inke (obsolete)

• → Japanese: インク (inku)
• → Korean: 잉크 (ingkeu)
• → Telugu: ఇంకి (iṅki)
• → Welsh: inc

ink (third-person singular simple present inks, present participle inking, simple past and past participle inked)

1. (transitive) To apply ink to; to cover or smear with ink.
2. (transitive) To sign (a contract or similar document).
   • December 13 2021, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time Magazine‎:

     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).

3. (transitive) To apply a tattoo to (someone).
4. (intransitive, of a squid or octopus) to eject ink (sense 3)

• (sign): endorse, initial, inscribe, subscribe

• dye
• atrament

• ink on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• -kin, -kin-, -nik, Kin, Nik, k'in, kin

From Dutch inkt.

• IPA^(key): /əŋk/

ink (plural inkte or inke)

1. ink

ink (present ink, present participle inkende, past participle geïnk)

1. to ink

ink

1. Alternative form of inc