Meaning

7 senses

  1. An act of winking (a blinking of only one eye), or a message sent by winking.

    Augenzwinkern

    подми́гиваниеpodmígivanije, подма́ргиваниеpodmárgivanije

  2. A brief period of sleep; especially forty winks.

    eine Mütze Schlaf (voll), Nickerchen

  3. A brief time; an instant.

    Augenblick

    мигmig

  4. The smallest possible amount.

    Fitzelchen, Zipfel

  5. A subtle allusion.

    The film includes a wink to wartime rationing.

    Wink, Fingerzeig, Andeutung

  6. Synonym of tiddlywink (“small disc used in the game of tiddlywinks”).

  7. (UK, slang)Synonym of periwinkle (“type of mollusk”).

More definitions
  • closing one eye quickly as a signal
  • a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly
  • a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

Examples

174 sentences

  1. Tom gave Mary a big wink.

    Том виразно підморгнув Мері. — deniko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. Tom winked at Mary.

    Том підморгнув Мері. — deniko

    ruТом подмигнул Мэри. — corvard

    deTom hat Maria zugezwinkert. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. I winked at Tom.

    Я підморгнув Тому. — deniko

    ruЯ подмигнул Тому. — marafon

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Tom gave Mary a wink.

    Том підморгнув Мері. — deniko

    ruТом подмигнул Мэри. — corvard

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. I gave Tom a wink.

    Я підморгнув Тому. — deniko

    ruЯ подмигнул Тому. — marafon

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

8 languages
Русский
By meaning 2
blink of one eye:
brief time, instant:
Deutsch
By meaning 5
blink of one eye:
brief period of sleep — see also forty winks:
brief time, instant:
smallest possible amount:
subtle allusion:

Origin

From Middle English wynken, from Old English wincian (“to wink, make a sign, close the eye

From Middle English wynken, from Old English wincian (“to wink, make a sign, close the eyes, blink”, weak verb), from Proto-West Germanic *winkōn (“to close one's eyes”), from Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”). Cognate with Middle Low German winken (“to blink, wink”), German winken (“to nod, beckon, make a sign”). Related also to Saterland Frisian wäänke, Dutch wenken (“to beckon, motion”), Latin vacillare (“sway”), Lithuanian véngti (“to swerve, avoid”), Albanian vang (“tire, felloe”), Sanskrit वङ्गति (vaṅgati, “(he, she) limps”), French guigner (“to eye, sneak a look at”).

Clipping of tiddlywink.

Clipping of periwinkle.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: winks
Singularwink
Pluralwinks

regular

Synonyms

20 synonyms
tiddlywinkperiwinkle😉;);-)
Close in meaning

Word family

5 related words
Derivedbutt winkforty winkswink-a-peepwink murderwink-wink

Collocations

4 patterns
  • sleep a wink
  • wink last night
  • a wink last
  • wink last

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
wingB1wingerwingspanwinnerA2winniewinning

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

wink — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto