twinkle
noun
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L329755 on Wikidata ↗verb
- twinkle
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈtwɪŋ.kəl/
noun
Etymology: From Middle English twinclen, twynclen, from Old English twinclian (“to twinkle”), equivalent to twink (“to wink; blink; twinkle”) + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare German zwinkern (“to wink; twinkle”).
- A sparkle or glimmer of light.
“Soon the rocket was out of sight, and the flame was only seen as a tiny twinkle of light.”
- A sparkle of delight in the eyes.
“He was a rotund, jolly man with a twinkle in his eye.”
“One of thoſe archers cloſely I did ſpy, / ayming his arrovv at my very hart: / vvhen ſuddenly vvith tvvincle of her eye, / the Damzell broke his miſintended dart.”
- A flitting movement.
“I saw the twinkle of white feet,”
- A brief moment; a twinkling.
- The female genitalia.
“The popular Swedish cartoon song about genitals was translated as "Willie and Twinkle".”
verb
Etymology: From Middle English twinclen, twynclen, from Old English twinclian (“to twinkle”), equivalent to twink (“to wink; blink; twinkle”) + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare German zwinkern (“to wink; twinkle”).
- To shine with a flickering light; to glimmer.
“We could see the lights of the village twinkling in the distance.”
“These stars do not twinkle when viewed through telescopes that have large apertures.”
- To be bright with delight.
“His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly.”
- To bat, blink or wink the eyes.
“She smiled and gave a little nod and twinkled her eyes[…]”
“The Owl Fell a Moping and Twinkling.”
- To flit to and fro.
“A butterfly twinkled among the vines[…]”