blotter

[ blot-er ]

noun

1. a piece of blotting paper used to absorb excess ink, to protect a desk top, etc.
2. a book in which transactions or events, as sales or arrests, are recorded as they occur:

   a police blotter.

3. Machinery. a soft washer of blotting paper or felt for cushioning a brittle object against shock or pressure or for increasing the friction or contact area between two surfaces.

blotter

/ ˈblɒtə /

noun

1. something used to absorb excess ink or other liquid, esp a sheet of blotting paper with a firm backing
2. a daily record of events, such as arrests, in a police station (esp in the phrase police blotter )

Word History and Origins

Origin of blotter¹

1585–95; 1887 blotter fordef 2; blot ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Police responded to the crash at 4th Avenue South and South Washington Street shortly before noon, police said in an online blotter post.

From Seattle Times

Police and Seattle Fire Department crews responded to the shooting in the 3000 block of 21st Avenue West around 6:30 p.m., police spokesperson Officer Eric Muñoz wrote in an SPD Blotter post.

From Seattle Times

They are also planning talks about major moments within psychedelic art history, a deep dive of blotter art, and a panel on magic mushrooms and their scientific properties.

From Los Angeles Times

We were no sooner at the cluttered top than she got busy, hobbling over the blotter, swerving around the inkstand.

From Literature

Task force members were conducting a sting operation at the Double Tree Hotel in Tukwila to arrest a suspect who thought he was going to meet two young girls, ages 7 and 11, in a hotel room, according to an item posted Friday to SPD’s online blotter.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• binder
• diary
• journal
• pad