twinkling

[ twing-kling ]

/ ˈtwɪŋ klɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR twinkling ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an act of shining with intermittent gleams of light.

the time required for a wink; an instant.

Archaic. winking; a wink.

Words nearby twinkling

twining, twinjet, twink, twink out, twinkle, twinkling, twinleaf, twinned, twinning, twins, twinset

Origin of twinkling

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at twinkle, -ing¹

OTHER WORDS FROM twinkling

un·twin·kling, adjective

Definition for twinkling (2 of 2)

twinkle

[ twing-kuh l ]

/ ˈtwɪŋ kəl /

verb (used without object), twin·kled, twin·kling.

to shine with a flickering gleam of light, as a star or distant light.

to sparkle in the light: The diamond on her finger twinkled in the firelight.

(of the eyes) to be bright with amusement, pleasure, etc.

to move flutteringly and quickly, as flashes of light; flit.

Archaic. to wink; blink.

verb (used with object), twin·kled, twin·kling.

to emit (light) in intermittent gleams or flashes.

Archaic. to wink (the eyes or eyelids).

noun

a flickering or intermittent brightness or light.

a scintillating brightness in the eyes; sparkle.

the time required for a wink; a twinkling.

Archaic. a wink.

Origin of twinkle

before 900; Middle English twinklen (v.), Old English twinclian; see twink, -le

OTHER WORDS FROM twinkle

twin·kler, nounun·twin·kled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for twinkling

Twinkling, shining, expanding, the stars grew into a pair of eyes in the darkness.
Camps and Trails|Henry Abbott
A beacon-light far off, Twinkling across the waves like a star!
Songs from Vagabondia|Bliss Carman and Richard Hovey
Twinkling eyes with red lashes shone with the utmost good-will.
The Lamp in the Desert|Ethel M. Dell
Twinkling so that there is gas, budding so that there is hair, blaming so that there is pleasing, all along the heap of all.
Matisse Picasso and Gertrude Stein|Gertrude Stein

Twinkling lights also appeared in the night heavens between the swiftly flying clouds.
Arachne, Complete|Georg Ebers

British Dictionary definitions for twinkling (1 of 2)

twinkling

twink (twɪŋk)

/ (ˈtwɪŋklɪŋ) /

noun

a very short time; instant; momentAlso called: twinkling of an eye

British Dictionary definitions for twinkling (2 of 2)

twinkle

/ (ˈtwɪŋkəl) /

verb (mainly intr)

to emit or reflect light in a flickering manner; shine brightly and intermittently; sparkletwinkling stars

(of the eyes) to sparkle, esp with amusement or delight

rare to move about quickly

(also tr) rare to wink (the eyes); blink

noun

an intermittent gleam of light; flickering brightness; sparkle or glimmer

an instant

a rare word for wink 1

Derived forms of twinkle

twinkler, nountwinkly, adjective

Word Origin for twinkle

Old English twinclian; related to Middle High German zwinken to blink

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

Idioms and Phrases with twinkling

twinkling

see in the twinkling of an eye.

twinkling

noun

Content related to twinkling

Words related to twinkling

Words nearby twinkling

Origin of twinkling

OTHER WORDS FROM twinkling

Definition for twinkling (2 of 2)

verb (used without object), twin·kled, twin·kling.

verb (used with object), twin·kled, twin·kling.

noun

Origin of twinkle

OTHER WORDS FROM twinkle

Examples from the Web for twinkling

British Dictionary definitions for twinkling (1 of 2)

twink (twɪŋk)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for twinkling (2 of 2)

verb (mainly intr)

noun

Derived forms of twinkle

Word Origin for twinkle

Idioms and Phrases with twinkling