definitions

twinkling

[ twing-kling ]
/ ˈtwɪŋ klɪŋ /
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SEE MORE 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.

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RELATED WORDS

bright, flashing, gleaming, glimmering, glistening, shimmering, shining, instant, flash, moment, blink, second, shake, fire, scintillation, twinkle, chatoyant, scintillating

Nearby words

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

Origin of twinkling

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at twinkle, -ing1
Related formsun·twin·kling, adjective

Definition for twinkling (2 of 2)

twinkle

[ twing-kuh l ]
/ ˈtwɪŋ kəl /

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

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

to emit (light) in intermittent gleams or flashes.
Archaic. to wink (the eyes or eyelids).

noun

Origin of twinkle

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

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

Derived Formstwinkler, 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

Word Origin and History for twinkling

twinkle

v.

Old English twinclian, frequentative of twincan "to wink, blink;" related to Middle High German zwinken, German zwinkern, and probably somehow imitative. The noun is recorded from 1540s. Related: Twinkled; twinkling. Phrase in the twinkling of an eye is attested from c.1300.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with twinkling

twinkling

see in the twinkling of an eye.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.