Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A tray or rack for pens and bottles of ink.
- n. See inkwell.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A small cup-like receptacle, with or without a cover, for holding the ink used in writing. Inkstands are of various materials, as glass, porcelain, metal, etc., or of combinations of materials (as a glass cup or ink-well in a wooden or metallic container), and of many forms, as the globular, the well, the fountain, the chambered, and the invertible inkstands.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A small vessel for holding ink, to dip the pen into; also, a device for holding ink and writing materials.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a tray or stand for writing implements and containers for ink
- n. a small well holding writing ink into which a pen can be dipped
Examples
“The inkstand was a skull; the ruler was a fore-arm; the paper-weight was”
“Above the inkstand is a pen stuck in a hole, with vacant holes beside it.”
“The roll contained an Address to Mr. Thorpe, eulogizing his character in very affectionate terms; the inkstand was a Testimonial to be presented after the Address; and the gentlemen who occupied the three private carriages were all eminent members of the religious society which Mr. Thorpe had served in the capacity of Secretary, and from which he was now obliged to secede in consequence of the precarious state of his health.”
“The inkstand is a beautiful specimen of silverwork.”
“She sat down in the crimson-cushioned arm-chair that was drawn close to the circular table, where pen and paper told that the owner had recently been writing, and near the inkstand was a handkerchief with German initials, S.E. M. Upon a mass of loose papers stood a quaint bronze paper-weight, representing Cartaphilus, the Wandering Jew; and on the base was inscribed Mr. Murray's favorite Arabian maxim: "Ed dünya djifetun ve talibeha kilab": "The world is an abomination, and those who toil about it are dogs.”
“Bonham's A silver-mounted inkstand will be auctioned at Bonhams.”
The Wall Street Journal: The Tchotchkes of Nelson and Churchill
“Other objects fulfill the "gentleman's library" conceit—an 1877 ivory-and-silver "owl" perfume bottle by London silversmith William Frederick Williams; a silver-mounted Gorham inkstand, circa 1894; and a detailed metalwork model of a Chinese ship resting on a wavelike carved-wood base.”
The Wall Street Journal: The Tchotchkes of Nelson and Churchill
“There was a fireplace and a large winged chair beside it, a desk made of fragrant Indonesian wood, quills and silver inkstand and leather-bound blotter at the ready; blue toile de Jouy curtains featuring scenes of 18th century country life; a Persian carpet decorated with birds alighting in trees; and of course, books.”
“Then, seeing the inkstand handy, I picked up the weed and dipped it in, using the result to paint interesting patterns on the thick blotting paper.”
“Near Grantaire, an almost silent table, a sheet of paper, an inkstand and a pen between two glasses of brandy, announced that a vaudeville was being sketched out.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘inkstand’.
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Visuals
A list of words which yield surprising, beautiful, amusing, or otherwise noteworthy images here on Wordnik.
photochrom, fufluns, thank you, cool l..., postcard, picture postcard, cricket, physiological ill..., Gakuryū Ishii, ametropia, One Froggy Evening, rhodopsin, Santiago Calatrava and 624 more...
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Many Stands
grandstand, Custer's last stand, bandstand, witness stand, upstand, bedstand, Rostand, handstand, hardstand, headstand, newsstand, stillstand and 94 more...
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A Garnish of Pewter
A list of pewter items and wares gleaned from the literature, or found listed for sale in antique catalogs - from spoons to stills and chamber pots to church cups. A synonym for the larger, heavier...
teapot, porringer, flagon, wine funnel, pepper shaker, broth bowl, basin, candlesticks, tankard, beaker, measure, chalice and 154 more...
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Penmanship
Spencerian method, Palmer method, Platt R. Spencer, cursive, round hand, running hand, handwriting, stylus, pen, vellum, penmanship, script and 85 more...
yarb Citation on chirography. Jul 30, 2008