inkhorn

[ ingk-hawrn ]
See synonyms for inkhorn on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a small container of horn or other material, formerly used to hold writing ink.

Origin of inkhorn

1
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at ink, horn

Words Nearby inkhorn

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use inkhorn in a sentence

  • Occleve always depicted Chaucer with a rosary in his hand, and his penner, containing his pen and inkhorn, hanging to his vest.

    Chaucer for Children | Mrs. H. R. Haweis
  • One day they saw one of us take out pen and inkhorn and write down their answers to our many questions.

    1492 | Mary Johnston
  • He fetched an inkhorn set into a tripod, a sandarach, and a roll of clean parchment that was tied around with a green ribbon.

    The Fifth Queen Crowned | Ford Madox Ford
  • And La Boulaye took down an inkhorn a quill, and a sheaf of paper from the mantel-shelf behind him.

    The Trampling of the Lilies | Rafael Sabatini
  • Hannibal donned his helmet and cuirass, Hanno put his official inkhorn in his girdle, and we lost no time in setting off.

British Dictionary definitions for inkhorn

inkhorn

/ (ˈɪŋkˌhɔːn) /


noun
  1. (formerly) a small portable container for ink, usually made from horn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012