Blotter
/ˈblɒt.ər/noun
A piece of absorbent paper used to soak up liquid, or a pad of paper for notes; also, informal slang for a sheet of LSD.
Did you know?Blotter comes from the same Germanic root as *blot* (“to stain” or “to soak up”), and its psychedelic slang meaning is a modern twist on a very old word for absorbing marks.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*blōt-
“to blot, stain, or make dirty”
Old English
OE
blotian
“to blot, stain, or mark with spots”
Middle English
ME
blot
“a stain, spot, or mark made by ink or liquid”
16th Century
English
blotter
“something that blots or absorbs, especially absorbent paper”
20th Century
English
blotter
“a sheet of paper, especially one used for LSD”