noun / verb

ink

INK/ɪŋk/

Colored liquid or paste used to make marks, or to apply it.

Blue ink clings to the dip pen beside the open bottle.

An open glass bottle of dark blue ink beside a dip pen and a fresh blue pen stroke on white paper, with a small glossy droplet at the nib making the writing fluid unmistakable.

Etymology

Encaustum evokes something “burned in”: it named a painting technique involving heat and later a special imperial writing ink. That specialized name eventually became a general word for writing fluid.

In context

Koki F113:45

but you could roll up this stuff which is very light and you could carry long distances store it very conveniently the ease with which you can write with this ink gives you a lovely fluent Mark

Alphabet: The Story of Writing pt. 1 and 2 by Donald Jackson

More examples

Let the ink dry before you fold the card.
The artist inks the pencil outlines with a fine pen.
She rolls black ink onto the carved printing block.

Forms

ink · inks · inked · inking

inky adjective — Covered with or resembling ink.

Similar words

paint: Usually coats surfaces rather than serving as writing fluid.
pigment: The coloring substance in ink, not necessarily the finished fluid.