What does inkhorn mean?
An inkhorn is a small container for ink, particularly one made from a cow's horn or designed in a horn-like shape. Before fountain pens and modern bottled ink became standard, writers and scholars used inkhorns, inkwells, and similar receptacles to keep writing ink available at a desk or on the move. Today, the word is mainly literary, historical, or nostalgic, and it can evoke the physical tools of traditional scholarship and manuscript production. In figurative use, an inkhorn may suggest a supply of writing material or the creative source of a writer's work. The expression carries a distinctly old-fashioned atmosphere, making it useful in historical narration and literary prose, while the more general term inkwell is preferable for ordinary reference to a container for ink.
nounA small container for ink, especially one traditionally made from a cow's horn or shaped like a horn. Today the word is chiefly literary, historical, or metaphorical.
- A small container for ink, traditionally made from or shaped like a horn.
- A metaphorical source of ink or writing material, especially in literary or historical contexts.
"The scribe carefully filled the inkhorn before beginning the manuscript."
"He dipped his quill into the inkhorn and continued writing."
"The archive contained what the historian called the inkhorn of a forgotten literary tradition."
Usually used in the singular; the plural is appropriate when referring to several such containers.
"The museum displays inkhorns used by scribes and clerks."
An inkhorn was once a writer's portable ink bottle, carried in the pocket of a scholar or clerk.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inkhorn come from?
Inkhorn is a compound of ink and horn. Ink ultimately comes through Old English enke from Latin encaustum, referring to the writing ink used by ancient encaustic painters, while horn comes from Old English horn and ultimately from a Germanic word for a horn or projecting appendage. The compound reflects the historical use of horn-like containers to hold ink.
Related word forms
How inkhorn is actually used
The word is now literary, archaic, or deliberately nostalgic rather than everyday. It can also be used figuratively for a source of writing or creative expression, although this use is uncommon.