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wink

Pronunciation: /wɪŋk/

Translate wink | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of wink

verb

[no object]
  • 1close and open one eye quickly, typically to indicate that something is a joke or a secret or as a signal of affection or greeting:he winked at Nicole as he passed
  • (wink at) pretend not to notice (something bad or illegal):the authorities winked at their illegal trade
  • 2(of a bright object or a light) shine or flash intermittently:the diamond on her finger winked in the moonlight

noun

  • an act of winking:Barney gave him a knowing wink

Phrases

as easy as winking

informal very easy or easily.

in the wink of an eye (or in a wink)

very quickly.

not sleep (or get) a wink (or not get a wink of sleep)

not sleep at all.

Derivatives

winker

noun

Origin:

Old English wincian 'close the eyes', of Germanic origin; related to German winken 'to wave', also to wince1

wink in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of wink in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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