What does "ink" mean?
A pigment (or dye)-based fluid used for writing, printing etc.
Ink
/ɪŋk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A pigment (or dye)-based fluid used for writing, printing etc.
- Grammar: ink is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: autograph, autograph, ballpoint pen, bedarken.
- Useful contrasts: chalks, chalkstone, colorless.
- Usage evidence: Printing ink is in short supply.
How to use "ink"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ink" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ink" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ink" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ink" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ink" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "autograph" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ink", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A pigment (or dye)-based fluid used for writing, printing etc. uncountable, usually
"This form should be filled out in ink."
- 2 dark protective fluid ejected into the water by cuttlefish and other cephalopods wordnet
- 3 A particular type, color or container of this fluid. countable, usually
- 4 a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing wordnet
- 5 The black or dark-colored fluid ejected by squid, octopus etc, as a protective strategy. uncountable, usually
"Experimentally, some ink has been shown to be unpalatable to fish (Wood et al. 2010) and observationally, ink can also function as an attractant to predators to give cephalopods a bit more time to escape."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Publicity. slang, uncountable, usually
"to get ink"
- 7 Tattoo work. slang, uncountable, usually
""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."
- 8 Cheap red wine. slang, uncountable, usually
Verb
- 1 To apply ink to; to cover or smear with ink. transitive
"A plain impression is obtained by pressing the bulb of the finger, with the plane of the nail parallel to the plane of the plate, on the inked plate and then on the paper in the same manner."
- 2 fill with ink wordnet
- 3 To sign (a contract or similar document). transitive
"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)."
- 4 mark, coat, cover, or stain with ink wordnet
- 5 To apply a tattoo to (someone). transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 append one's signature to wordnet
- 7 to eject ink (sense 3) intransitive
Antonyms
Example
"Printing ink is in short supply."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ink"?
Common synonyms include: autograph, autograph, ballpoint pen, bedarken, besmirch, black.
How do you use "ink" in a sentence?
Printing ink is in short supply.
How do you pronounce "ink"?
Pronounced /ɪŋk/.
Etymology
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”).