twink

¹ American  

[twingk] / twɪŋk /

verb (used with or without object)

1. wink.

2. twinkle.

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twink ² American  

[twingk] / twɪŋk /

noun

Slang.

1. a young, attractive gay man with a slim, boyish appearance.

2. (in a role-playing game) a low-level character who is equipped with advanced-level armor and weapons obtained from a high-level character, as a gift or through real money trade.

   Check out the overpowered gear on the twink who just joined our group.

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twink British  

/ twɪŋk /

noun

1. white correction fluid for deleting written text

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Etymology

Origin of twink¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English twinken; cognate with German zwinken “to wink”; akin to twinkle

Origin of twink¹

First recorded in 1960–65; shortening of twinkie “a gay or effeminate man; a younger male regarded as an object of gay male desire”; commonly associated with Twinkie, a trademark for a kind of small, oblong cake with a creamy filling

Example Sentences

They included individuals from diverse walks of life: an 81-year-old Navy veteran in a red scooter, a chemistry teacher, a greeting-card business owner who derives 95 percent of her income from TikTok sales; a disability rights advocate, two chefs and a 19-year-old who yelled “twink” in the Capitol Rotunda.

From Washington Post

“Becoming the first person to say twink in the capitol rotunda,” reads the on-screen caption as Mr. Kohn-Murphy shouts the word into the cavernous dome above.

From New York Times

Desiree Dik, the host of Red Bear’s weekly drag bingo night, has invited friends, including Bombalicious Eklavar, Jayvon Love and DJ Twink, for a performance and dance party at the NoMa brewery.

From Washington Post

To make sure you get the point, Haddad, who has described himself as a “hairy twink of Middle Eastern descent,” opens the play with a fit of phone sex that leaves little to the imagination.

From New York Times

To understand how this season’s villainous twink might’ve created these dolls, we spoke to the actual artist who did: Cyrus Bronock, whose work on dolls has captured the likeness of icons and divas from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Barbra Streisand.

From Slate