black ink, India ink, ink stick, Mexico
墨 centers on the dark, solid substance used for writing and drawing: black ink, an ink stick, or India ink. The country name Mexico is a phonetic borrowing unrelated to the core meaning.
墨 combines 黑 (black) with 土 (earth), suggesting a dark earthy substance used as ink. The character likely reflects the historical production of ink from soot or minerals mixed with earth.
Black 黑 earth 土 pressed together forms an ink stick. Imagine grinding a block of dark soil into liquid black ink.
For ボク, picture a box of ink sticks: box -> ボク, and inside the box are solid black ink sticks ready for calligraphy.
sumi; India ink; Chinese ink; ink stick; ink-cake
eyebrow pencil
certificate; certified document; authorization; authorisation
tattoo (esp. a traditional Japanese one); tattooing
water and ink
India ink; China ink
ink painting
writing in India ink
thin India ink; diluted ink
squid ink
squid ink
centre line (usu. in buildings, joinery, etc.); center line
brassy chub (Kyphosus vaigiensis)
Confucianism and Mohism; Confucianism and the teachings of Mozi
person who has been tattooed as a punishment for a crime (Edo period)
old ink stick
Chinese ink
Mexico
ink line; tool for marking long, straight lines on flat surfaces
people are formed by their surroundings; walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble; that which is dyed with ink becomes black