ink

Etymology

of ink (sense 1)]] 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”).

noun

1. A pigment (or dye)-based fluid used for writing, printing etc.
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.
   to get ink
   The TSA has been getting a lot of ink lately.
   [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. 4 June 1999, Washington Post
5. (slang, uncountable) Tattoo work.
   "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, Richard Dooling, Brain Storm
   Now he's getting a tattoo / Yeah, he's getting ink done / He asked for a 13, / But they drew a 31 1998, “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)”, performed by The Offspring
6. (slang) Cheap red wine.

verb

1. (transitive) To apply ink to; to cover or smear with ink.
2. (transitive) To sign (a contract or similar document).
   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). December 13 2021, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time Magazine
3. (transitive) To apply a tattoo to (someone).
4. (intransitive, of a squid or octopus) to eject ink (sense 3)