winkle

[ wing-kuhl ]

/ ˈwɪŋ kəl /

British

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noun

any of various marine gastropods; periwinkle¹.

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

Informal. to pry (something) out of a place, as winkle meat is dug out of its shell with a pin (usually followed by out).

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Origin of winkle

First recorded in 1575–85; short for periwinkle¹

Words nearby winkle

Winiwarter-Buerger disease, wink, wink at, Winkelried, winker, winkle, winkle-pickers, wink reflex, winlestrae, winnable, winnard

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use winkle in a sentence

The Cult of Pappy van Winkle By Elton Felton There are lines around the block and long waiting lists.
Eight Must-read Stories About Nicaragua, School Shooters and the New Republic|The Daily Beast|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It seems like everyone wants to own Pappy Van Winkle whiskey…but is it worth it?
The Cult of Pappy van Winkle|Eric Felten|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Though, at their best, the Van Winkle whiskies are excellent, Pappy is not uniquely great.
The Cult of Pappy van Winkle|Eric Felten|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But if parents know that their baby is a veritable Rip Van Winkle, date night becomes less of a bank breaker.
The Colorado Shooting: Why Mothers Take Babies to Movies|Kevin Fallon|July 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST

His sudden disappearance in 1974 has all the fairy-tale quality of a modern-day Rip Van Winkle.
Lord Lucan’s Whereabouts: The Tabloid Rebirth of a Decades-Old Crime|William Coles|February 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Mrs. Nathaniel Winkle, who married the son of the old man at Birmingham?
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
The little gentleman turned pale, and making a strong effort to appear composed, stood up, as Mr. Winkle entered the room.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
“Mr. Pickwick, I thank you most heartily for all your kindness to my son,” said old Mr. Winkle, in a bluff straightforward way.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
Sometimes Celia wonders what she will say if she finds that Mrs. Winkle has re-arranged all her furniture for her.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, May 16, 1917.|Various
You must read for yourselves the famous story of Rip Van Winkle and the nap he took.
St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 5, March, 1878|Various

British Dictionary definitions for winkle

winkle

/ (ˈwɪŋkəl) /

noun

See periwinkle 1

verb

(tr; usually foll by out, out of, etc) informal, mainly British to extract or prise out

Word Origin for winkle

C16: shortened from periwinkle 1

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