twinkling

American  

[twing-kling] / ˈtwɪŋ klɪŋ /

noun

1. an act of shining with intermittent gleams of light.

2. the time required for a wink; an instant.

3. Archaic. winking; a wink.

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twinkling British  

/ ˈtwɪŋklɪŋ, twɪŋk /

noun

1. Also called: twinkling of an eye.  a very short time; instant; moment

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twinkling Idioms  

1. see in the twinkling of an eye.

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Other Word Forms

• untwinkling adjective

Etymology

Origin of twinkling

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; twinkle, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Through the cockpit, the city glowed on the horizon, a strip of twinkling lights severing the night sky from the dark Potomac river.

From The Wall Street Journal

After a romantic ride through chic neighbourhoods, Castel got down on one knee as a violinist played with the twinkling Eiffel Tower in the background.

From Barron's

Only Rowan and Allun saw that her hands were gripping her apron, twisting the white cloth, and that her eyes were twinkling not with laughter but with unshed tears.

From Literature

It was like staring into a field of fireflies, twinkling and blinking and vanishing and reappearing.

From Literature

Over tens of thousands of years, Kalas explained, the region around Fomalhaut would appear to be filled with glowing debris, "sparkling with these collisions" -- similar to twinkling holiday lights.

From Science Daily