# inking

Pronunciation: say "INGK-ing" /ˈɪŋkɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of ink. — present participle and gerund of ink
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of ink. Use it after words like is or was, or to name the action.
   - _The studio is inking a three-year contract with the director this week._
   - _When the diver came too close, the octopus started inking and darted behind a rock._

## Noun

2. The work of an inker, the commercial artist who goes over penciled artwork in ink, as in comics.
   - Simple: The work an inker does. An inker is an artist who makes art for businesses.
   - _The penciler finished the pages on Friday, but the inking took another two weeks._
   - _Critics praised the graphic novel's moody inking, all heavy shadows and thick lines._
3. An application of ink to a surface.
   - Simple: Putting ink on something, or one coat of ink.
   - _The rubber stamp left only a faint mark, so she gave it a second inking._
   - _Uneven inking left some of the printed letters pale and blotchy._
4. The defensive release of ink by squid, cuttlefish and similar animals.
   - Simple: The way a squid or a similar sea animal squirts dark ink to protect itself.
   - _The researchers filmed the squid's inking as a shark closed in._
   - _When camouflage fails, a cuttlefish may fall back on inking to escape._
5. The entering of text or drawings into a computer, tablet or similar device with a stylus.
   - Simple: Writing or drawing into a computer or tablet with a special pen called a stylus.
   - _The software update improves inking, so handwriting with the stylus no longer lags._
   - _Designers use inking to sketch ideas straight into their presentation slides._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/inking (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).