invisible ink

American

[in-viz-uh-buhl ingk] / ɪnˈvɪz ə bəl ˈɪŋk /

noun

a fluid for producing writing that is invisible until brought out by heat, chemicals, etc.

invisible ink British

noun

a liquid used for writing that does not become visible until it has been treated with chemicals, heat, ultraviolet light, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of invisible ink

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The gold arrows were now traveling along the clear surface and seeping into the open book, like invisible ink.

From Literature

We even made our own invisible ink.

From Literature

I don’t know what sort of invisible ink this is, but it’s working well.

From Literature

Finally, in the ad for Liver Salt, I found seven more dots of invisible ink.

From Literature

Now the memory of her was all but erased, as if it had been written in invisible ink.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023