inkblot

noun

ink·​blot ˈiŋk-ˌblät 

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

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

Graham never expressly defines founder mode in his essay, and in the more than 72 hours of intense—and occasionally bizarre—online discourse that followed Graham’s essay, the topic seemed to take on a Rorschach test quality as people projected their own ideals onto Graham’s inkblot. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2024

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first reaction is to try to discern beings in the shapes of the objects, as if in a Rorschach test whose inkblots have been replaced by pieces of clothing and lingerie.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

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

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing inkblot

• inkblot test
• Rorschach inkblot test

Medical Definition

inkblot

noun

ink·​blot ˈiŋk-ˌblät 

: any of several plates showing blots of ink for use in psychological testing