Meaning & use
Sumi
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A dense black ink made from soot and animal glue, traditionally used in East Asian brush painting and calligraphy.
See it in a sentence
She ground the sumi stick on the inkstone before beginning her calligraphy practice.
The exhibit featured sumi paintings of bamboo done with a single confident brushstroke.
A note on using this word
Sumi is a Japanese term borrowed directly from the word for 'ink' or 'charcoal'; the related art form 'sumi-e' means 'ink painting.'
Words with a similar meaning
inksumi-e
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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