wink
1to close and open one eye quickly as a hint or signal or with some sly meaning (often followed by at): She winked at him across the room.
to shine with little flashes of light; twinkle: The city lights winked in the distance.
to close and open one or both eyes quickly.
to signal or convey by closing and opening one eye quickly: Wink one eye if you need help later.
to close and open (one or both eyes) quickly.
to drive or force by opening and closing the eyes rapidly (usually followed by back or away): She attempted to wink back the tears.
a winking movement, especially of one eye in giving a hint or signal:I gave the judges a wink of my eye to show my confidence.
a hint or signal given by closing and opening one eye rapidly: Her wink assured me the plan was still on.
an act of closing and opening one eye rapidly.
the time required for closing and opening the eyes once; an instant or twinkling: I'll be there in a wink.
a little flash of light; twinkle.
the least bit: I didn't sleep a wink last night.
wink at, to ignore deliberately, as to avoid the necessity of taking action: to wink at minor offenses.
Origin of wink
1synonym study For wink
Other words for wink
Other words from wink
- wink·ing·ly, adverb
- un·wink·ing, adjective
Other definitions for wink (2 of 2)
a disk or similar small object used in tiddlywinks.
Origin of wink
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use wink in a sentence
And the not-so-subtle winks to Batman lore will be enough to satiate hungry fanboys for now.
He winks, smacks his lips and frantically drains the go-cup.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou | John Ed Bradley | April 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe SEC adds the case to the list, sends the money to the Treasury, and winks at the public.
$614M SAC Capital Settlement a Sign of Wall Street’s Cynical Calculus | Daniel Gross | March 19, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTMontana didn't pass that 1912 law simply because legislators got tired of playing tiddly-winks and needed something to do.
White House staffers were warned not to leak anything before the session with Roberts, but there were winks and nudges.
How President Obama, in Six Days, Decided to Come Out for Gay Marriage | Howard Kurtz | May 10, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Watch him: he preaches extemporaneously, but often peers up and winks, and often looks down at his bible and squeezes his eyes.
Our Churches and Chapels | Atticus"I think about forty minutes of winks, Father Dan," he replied.
My New Curate | P.A. SheehanI'm beginning to think that I, too, took forty winks during the reading of that paper.
My New Curate | P.A. SheehanI do think I can dream more foolish things during three to half a dozen winks of sleep than any man that ever lived.
An Arkansas Planter | Opie Percival ReadAdultery is still an excellent joke in a farce, provided it is conveyed by winks and nods.
The English Stage | Augustin Filon
British Dictionary definitions for wink (1 of 2)
/ (wɪŋk) /
(intr) to close and open one eye quickly, deliberately, or in an exaggerated fashion to convey friendliness, etc
to close and open (an eye or the eyes) momentarily
(tr; foll by away, back, etc) to force away (tears, etc) by winking
(tr) to signal with a wink
(intr) (of a light) to gleam or flash intermittently
a winking movement, esp one conveying a signal, etc, or such a signal
an interrupted flashing of light
a brief moment of time; instant
informal the smallest amount, esp of sleep: See also forty winks
tip the wink British informal to give a hint
Origin of wink
1British Dictionary definitions for wink (2 of 2)
/ (wɪŋk) /
a disc used in the game of tiddlywinks
Origin of wink
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with wink
In addition to the idiom beginning with wink
- wink at
also see:
- forty winks
- quick as a wink
- sleep a wink
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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