kink

[kingk]

noun

1. a twist or curl, as in a thread, rope, wire, or hair, caused by its doubling or bending upon itself.

   The kink in the hose was restricting the water flow.

2. a muscular stiffness or soreness, as in the neck or back.

   The kink in my neck was making it difficult to turn my head at all.

3. a flaw or imperfection likely to hinder the successful operation of something, such as a machine or plan.

   There are still a few kinks to be worked out of the design before we start production.

4. Slang.

   1. unconventional sexual preferences or behavior collectively.

   2. a particular sexual preference or behavior that is unconventional.

   3. a person characterized by such preferences or behavior; kinkster.

5. a mental twist; notion; whim.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to form or cause to form a twist or curl, as in a rope.

   The high tensile steel wire ensures the product will not kink in the sharpest bend.

kink

/ kɪŋk /

noun

1. a sharp twist or bend in a wire, rope, hair, etc, esp one caused when it is pulled tight

2. a crick in the neck or similar muscular spasm

3. a flaw or minor difficulty in some undertaking or project

4. a flaw or idiosyncrasy of personality; quirk

5. informal,  a sexual deviation

6. a clever or unusual idea

verb

1. to form or cause to form a kink

Other Word Forms

• unkink verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of kink¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from Dutch: “a twist in a rope”; perhaps akin to kick ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of kink¹

C17: from Dutch: a curl in a rope; compare Middle Low German kinke kink, Old Norse kinka to nod

Example Sentences

The voice that sang it was profound and strong, but quavering and not quite in tune: an old oak tree with a strong trunk but with branches starting to kink and leaves to wither.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

After an offseason focused on ironing out the kinks in his game, Johnston is finally showing why he was such a highly regarded prospect coming out of college.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Tesla will have to work out kinks with its self-driving efforts to successfully roll out its robotaxis across the country to make that business a real money maker.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It’s also a tortuous kink in his road to absolution.

Read more on Salon

“Grace and I have been working out the kinks there… I’ll be going pretty much every weekend.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• flaw 
• hitch 
• imperfection