squint

[skwint]

verb (used without object)

1. to look with the eyes partly closed.

2. Ophthalmology.,  to be affected with strabismus; be cross-eyed.

3. to look or glance obliquely or sidewise; look askance.

4. to make or have an indirect reference to or bearing on; tend or incline toward (usually followed by toward, at, etc.).

verb (used with object)

1. to close (the eyes) partly in looking.

   The baby squinted his eyes at the bright lights.

2. to cause to squint; cause to look obliquely.

noun

1. an act or instance of squinting.

2. Ophthalmology.,  a condition of the eye consisting in noncoincidence of the optic axes; strabismus.

3. Informal.,  a quick glance.

   Let me have a squint at that paper.

4. a looking obliquely or askance.

5. an indirect reference.

6. an inclination or tendency, especially an oblique or perverse one.

7. Also called hagioscope. (in a church) a small opening in a wall giving a view of the altar.

adjective

1. looking obliquely; looking with a side glance; looking askance.

2. Ophthalmology.,  (of the eyes) affected with strabismus.

squint

/ skwɪnt /

verb

1. (usually intr) to cross or partly close (the eyes)

2. (intr) to have a squint

3. (intr) to look or glance sideways or askance

noun

1. the nontechnical name for strabismus

2. the act or an instance of squinting; glimpse

3. Also called: hagioscope. a narrow oblique opening in a wall or pillar of a church to permit a view of the main altar from a side aisle or transept

4. informal,  a quick look; glance

adjective

1. having a squint

2. informal,  crooked; askew

Other Word Forms

• squinter noun
• squintingly adverb
• squintingness noun
• unsquinting adjective
• squinty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of squint¹

First recorded in 1350–1400 as an adverb “with a squint; askant,” and 1570–80 for adjective senses; Middle English; variant of asquint

Word History and Origins

Origin of squint¹

C14: short for _asquint

Example Sentences

The blinding brilliance of his plays left theatergoers still squinting to see whether his work had much of a heart.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That may be due in part to the fact that, if you squint, it turns out that a film crew is similar enough to an F1 team to fit right in.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“At first we kind of had to squint and be like, ‘OK, did we do something wrong in our eval?’ because the jump was so big,” he said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Before her stood a dozen men with fair, red-cheeked complexions and eyes in a permanent squint.

Read more on Literature

He suffered from the same poor eyesight as his mother, only much worse, and it took some energetic squinting before he realized who she was.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• peek 
• peep