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inkball. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
inkball, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
inkball in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
inkball you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From ink + ball.
Noun
inkball (plural inkballs)
- The gall of an oak tree, used to produce ink.
1946, William A. Murrill, Familiar trees:The first tree I knew was an oak under which I played as a small child and gathered large inkballs that I used as marbles.
1975, Jesse Stuart, My world, page 8:I said that ink made from pokeberries was better than that made from inkballs. I said that inkballs on oak trees were scarce. All the other students laughed. They bought commercial ink at the stores.
- (historical) A leather-covered dauber, stuffed with soft, resilient wadding, with a wooden handle, used to ink type forms for printing. A predecessor of brayers and self-inking presses.
1977, Maurice Annenberg, A Typographic journey through the Inland printer, 1883-1900:[…] consider that this perfect work was done on a wooden press, that the form was inked by hand with inkballs or "daubers," […]
2000, Richard L. Saunders, Printing in Deseret:He turns to the inkstone and picks up by the handles the two inkballs, rolling the leather facings together to freshen the ink. […] As the pressman returns the inkballs to the inkstone, the journeyman closes the frisket and tympan.