pink

[ pingk ]

See synonyms for pink on Thesaurus.com

noun

a color varying from light crimson to pale reddish purple.
any of several plants of the genus Dianthus, as the clove pink or carnation.: Compare pink family.

the flower of such a plant; carnation.
the highest or best form, degree, or example of something: Those runners are in the pink of condition. Her parties are the pink of perfection.
Older Slang: Disparaging. pinko.
Business Informal. a carbon copy, as of a sales slip or invoice, made on pink tissue paper.
pinks,
- Fox Hunting. pink coat.
- pinkish-tan gabardine trousers formerly worn by military officers as part of the dress uniform.
the scarlet color of hunting pinks.

adjective,pink·er, pink·est.

of the color pink: pink marble.
Older Slang: Disparaging.
- holding mildly leftist political opinions.
- leaning toward communist ideology.

Informal. of or relating to gay people or gay sexual orientation.

Idioms about pink

in the pink, healthy, physically fit, or in high spirits: I’m feeling very much in the pink today, after a refreshing walk in the countryside.
tickled pink. tickle (def. 11).

Origin of pink

First recorded in 1565–75; origin uncertain

Other words from pink

pink·ness, noun

Other definitions for pink (2 of 3)

pink²

[ pingk ]

verb (used with object)

to pierce with a rapier or the like; stab.
to finish (fabric) at the edge with a scalloped, notched, or other pattern, as to prevent fraying or for ornament.

to punch (cloth, leather, etc.) with small holes or figures for ornament.
Chiefly British Dialect. to adorn or ornament, especially with scalloped edges or a punched-out pattern.

Origin of pink

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English pinge(n), pinken, pung(en) “to push (a door), batter, shove; prick, stab, pierce; punch holes in,” Old English pyngan “to prick,” possibly from Latin pungere “to prick, pierce”; cf. point, puncheon²

Other definitions for pink (3 of 3)

pink³

[ pingk ]

noun

a vessel with a pink stern.

Origin of pink

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English pynck(e), from Middle Dutch pinke “fishing boat”

Also pinky .

Compare pink stern.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pink in a sentence

Pet Buford blew in with the pinkest cheeks and the brightest eyes I had seen since I looked in the mirror the night of the dance.
The Melting of Molly | Maria Thompson Daviess
Pet Buford ran in with the pinkest cheeks and the brightest eyes I had seen since I looked in the mirror the night of the dance.
The Melting of Molly | Maria Thompson Daviess
She was the pinkest little sweetheart thet a pink-lovin' school-boy ever picked out of a class of thirty-five, I reckon.
Sonny, A Christmas Guest | Ruth McEnery Stuart
At the time I noticed chiefly two young persons with the pinkest cheeks I ever saw, out of a picture-book, sitting near a window.
An American Girl in London | Sara Jeannette Duncan
Dolly was pretty, with the bluest of blue eyes and the pinkest of pink cheeks and the yellowest of yellow hair.
Two Little Women | Carolyn Wells

British Dictionary definitions for pink (1 of 3)

pink¹

/ (pɪŋk) /

noun

any of a group of colours with a reddish hue that are of low to moderate saturation and can usually reflect or transmit a large amount of light; a pale reddish tint
pink cloth or clothing: dressed in pink

any of various Old World plants of the caryophyllaceous genus Dianthus, such as D. plumarius (garden pink), cultivated for their fragrant flowers: See also carnation (def. 1)
any of various plants of other genera, such as the moss pink
the flower of any of these plants
the highest or best degree, condition, etc (esp in the phrases in the pink of health, in the pink)
- a huntsman's scarlet coat
- a huntsman who wears a scarlet coat

adjective

of the colour pink
British informal left-wing

US derogatory
- sympathetic to or influenced by Communism
- leftist or radical, esp half-heartedly
informal of or relating to homosexuals or homosexuality: the pink vote
(of a huntsman's coat) scarlet or red

verb

(intr) another word for knock (def. 7)

Origin of pink

C16 (the flower), C18 (the colour): perhaps a shortening of pinkeye

Derived forms of pink

pinkish, adjective
pinkness, noun
pinky, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for pink (2 of 3)

pink²

/ (pɪŋk) /

verb(tr)

to prick lightly with a sword or rapier
to decorate (leather, cloth, etc) with a perforated or punched pattern

to cut with pinking shears

Origin of pink

C14: perhaps of Low German origin; compare Low German pinken to peck

British Dictionary definitions for pink (3 of 3)

pink³

/ (pɪŋk) /

noun

a sailing vessel with a narrow overhanging transom

Origin of pink

C15: from Middle Dutch pinke, of obscure origin

Collins 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 pink

pink

see in the pink; tickled pink.

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