inkblot

noun

ink·​blot ˈiŋk-ˌblät How to pronounce inkblot (audio)
variants or ink blot or ink-blot
1
: a blot of ink
2
: any of several cards showing blots of ink for use in psychological testing
also : inkblot test

Examples of inkblot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One door leads to the singer sitting on a hospital bed while doctors hold up inkblots, while another opens to an eerie corridor with twins waiting at the end, a scene echoing The Shining. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026 Photograph courtesy the author My first reaction is to try to discern beings in the shapes of the objects, as if in a Rorschach test whose inkblots have been replaced by pieces of clothing and lingerie. — Annie Ernaux, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024 Thomas Ferrell, 74, got an upper armband inspired by one of Bruce Conner’s inkblot drawings 15 years ago at age 60. — Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026 Perhaps not best from a story perspective, but best in terms of its overall production quality in a game that mostly has to do story beats through in-game dialogue or more non-cinematic cutscenes like the inkblot ones. — Paul Tassi, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025 Congress has eagerly reduced itself to a constitutional inkblot to hide from accountability and the risk of primary challenges to retain incumbents. — Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 7 July 2024 Inside you’ll find McSweeney’s Anthology of Contemporary Literature, a portfolio of inkblot art by Spiegelman, and, for your friends who follow the literary world like its a sport, three packs of author trading cards. — Vulture Staff, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inkblot was in 1703

Phrases Containing inkblot

Rhymes for inkblot

See All Rhymes for inkblot

Browse Nearby Words

ink black
inkblot
inkblot test
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Cite this Entry

“Inkblot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inkblot. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

inkblot

noun
ink·​blot ˈiŋk-ˌblät How to pronounce inkblot (audio)
: any of several plates showing blots of ink for use in psychological testing
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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