blotting-paper

She carefully pressed the blotting-paper onto the wet ink.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Absorbent paper: "blotting-paper" is a type of soft, absorbent paper used to soak up excess ink from writing or printing, especially with fountain pens.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She used a sheet of blotting-paper to dry the ink on her letter. (Absorbent paper to remove wet ink.)
  • The old desk had a drawer filled with blotting-paper for calligraphy. (Paper used in traditional writing.)

Advanced Usage

• "to use blotting-paper": to apply absorbent paper to fresh ink.

  • After signing the document, he pressed blotting-paper over it to prevent smudging. (He used the paper to dry the ink.)

• "blotting-paper as a metaphor": sometimes used figuratively to describe something that absorbs quickly.

  • Her mind was like blotting-paper, absorbing every detail of the lecture. (She learned rapidly and thoroughly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Blotting (n): the action of absorbing or drying with blotting-paper.

  • The blotting of the ink took only a few seconds. (The process of drying.)

• Blotter (n): a piece of blotting-paper, often in a pad or block.

  • He kept a blotter on his desk to dry signatures. (A pad of absorbent paper.)

Synonyms

• Absorbent paper: paper designed to soak up liquids.
• Drying paper: paper used to remove moisture from ink.

Related Idioms

• To blot one's copybook: to spoil one's good record or reputation (derived from the act of blotting ink).
  • He blotted his copybook by arriving late to the interview. (He damaged his otherwise perfect record.)

Notes

• Historical usage: Blotting-paper was common before the widespread use of ballpoint pens and printers, as fountain pens often left wet ink that required drying.
• Modern context: Today, blotting-paper is less common but still used in art, calligraphy, and for some specialty inks.