twinkling

[ twing-kling ]

noun

1. an act of shining with intermittent gleams of light.
2. the time required for a wink; an instant.
3. Archaic. winking; a wink.

twinkling

/ ˈtwɪŋklɪŋ; twɪŋk /

noun

1. a very short time; instant; moment Also calledtwinkling of an eye

Other Words From

• un·twinkling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of twinkling¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; twinkle, -ing ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see in the twinkling of an eye .

Example Sentences

The patio’s banquettes arrived directly from France, and twinkling strung lights sway from the ceiling.

From Washington Blade

Those twinkling diamonds are several thousand light-years away.

From Ozy

To figure out any Cepheid’s true brightness, all an astronomer had to do was measure its twinkling speed.

From Science News

Guests can enjoy yard games under the twinkling fairy lights, cozy outdoor seating areas, a playground, and a soak-worthy hot tub.

From Outside Online

For this study, the team used hyper-sensitive tools called two-photon microscopes that allowed them to see the movement of calcium in the brain as twinkling light in super high detail.

From Popular-Science

Twinkling camp fires showed that they were running toward a country that was literally swarming with Germans.

From Project Gutenberg

Twinkling stars hung between the columns, burning with a fragrance like flowers.

From Project Gutenberg

Twinkling lights were all that I could see of the noted town.

From Project Gutenberg

Twinkling, shining, expanding, the stars grew into a pair of eyes in the darkness.

From Project Gutenberg

Twinkling is much more violent near the horizon than near the zenith, and more pronounced on some nights than others.

From Project Gutenberg