inkball

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   The gall of an oak tree, used to produce ink.

   • The first tree I knew was an oak under which I played as a small child and gathered large inkballs that I used as marbles.
   • I said that ink made from pokeberries was better than that made from inkballs. I said that inkballs on oak trees were scarce. All the other students laughed. They bought commercial ink at the stores.
2. 2

   A leather-covered dauber, stuffed with soft, resilient wadding, with a wooden handle,…

   A leather-covered dauber, stuffed with soft, resilient wadding, with a wooden handle, used to ink type forms for printing. A predecessor of brayers and self-inking presses.

   • […]consider that this perfect work was done on a wooden press, that the form was inked by hand with inkballs or "daubers,"[…]
   • He turns to the inkstone and picks up by the handles the two inkballs, rolling the leather facings together to freshen the ink. […] As the pressman returns the inkballs to the inkstone, the journeyman closes the frisket and tympan.

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