ink

[victor steinbok]

This is likely the shortest and the most common word that *I* have found to
have an insufficient coverage in the OED. There are three separate noun
entries, but the one of concern is ink n.1--the other two are unrelated.
There is only one entry with two subentries--liquid ink and squid ink (a.
and b., respectively), plus a long list of compounds. What's missing?

1. tattoo(s)
2. press coverage, published news story in a periodical
3. "to get ink" in both senses above, particularly "to get some ink"==either
to have been mentioned in a news story or to get a new tattoo (see also
below for "to get fresh ink" for the latter)
4. solid/powdered pigment or toner for electronic devices (including for
commercial printing, which, at the moment, is only covered as "thick paste")
5. Also "dry ink" in the same sense as 4.

There is a draft edition for 1997 for "ink cartridge", but not

6. ink-jet (short for 7. below)
7. ink-jet printer

This is particularly odd because the last example under "ink cartridge"
includes it:

1992    RS Components: Electronic & Electr. Products July–Oct. 115/1   A
> replacement ink cartridge, containing a specially formulated free flowing
> non-clogging ink, for the Epson SQ-2500 ink jet printer.


There is also related

9. ink-jet paper
8. ink dot

Also for ink v. there are two senses corresponding to 1. and 2.

9. to author/pen a story (news, feature or column)--similar to draft
addition for 1993 for inking a contract/deal
10. to draw/make a tattoo (the opposite of 3. above)


I'm not giving specific examples because I presume that they are fairly
common. What got my attention was a comment during some TV news program
concerning Nicole Richie "getting fresh ink" (a new ADDITIONAL tattoo).

One compound stands out to me:

 ink-mushroom n. a mushroom of the genus Coprinus.


I usually know this one as "ink-cap" (included under compounds) or "inky
cap" ( http://goo.gl/YgZ4O -- incorporated under compounds under inky adj.),
but the most common name is "Shaggy Mane" or, occasionally, "shaggy ink cap"
(Coprinus comatus -- both included under shaggy adj.). One English
denomination is "lawyer's wig" (listed under lawyer n.), although this could
be a regionalism used in other parts of the world. One thing I have NEVER
seen in contemporary mushroom literature is "ink-mushroom", although I don't
discount the possibility that there are earlier references to it. The
trouble is, this is one of over a dozen of compounds that have no examples
attached in the article.

I am sure there are a few other things I am missing. But this is all I could
do in half an hour.

VS-)

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