Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Twinkle
Twin′kle
(twĭṉ′k’l)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Twinkled
(twĭṉ′k’ld)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Twinkling
(twĭṉ′klĭng)
.] [OE.
twinklen
, AS. twinclian
; akin to OE. twinken
to blink, wink, G. zwinken
, zwinkern
, and perhaps to E. twitch
.] 1.
To open and shut the eye rapidly; to blink; to wink.
The owl fell a moping and
twinkling
. L’ Estrange.
2.
To shine with an intermitted or a broken, quavering light; to flash at intervals; to sparkle; to scintillate.
These stars do not
twinkle
when viewed through telescopes that have large apertures. Sir I. Newton.
The western sky
twinkled
with stars. Sir W. Scott.
Twin′kle
,Noun.
1.
A closing or opening, or a quick motion, of the eye; a wink or sparkle of the eye.
Suddenly, with
The damsel broke his misintended dart.
twinkle
of her eye,The damsel broke his misintended dart.
Spenser.
2.
A brief flash or gleam, esp. when rapidly repeated.
3.
The time of a wink; a twinkling.
Dryden.
Webster 1828 Edition
Twinkle
TWIN'KLE
, v.i.1.
To sparkle; to flash at intervals; to shine with a tremulous intermitted light, or with a broken quivering light. The fixed stars twinkle; the planets do not. These stars do not twinkle, when viewed through telescopes that have large apertures.
2.
To open and shut the eye by turns; as the twinkling owl.3.
To play irregularly; as, her eyes will twinkle.TWIN'KLE
Definition 2025
twinkle
twinkle
English
Verb
twinkle (third-person singular simple present twinkles, present participle twinkling, simple past and past participle twinkled)
- (of a source of light) to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer
- We could see the lights of the village twinkling in the distance.
- Sir Isaac Newton
- These stars do not twinkle when viewed through telescopes that have large apertures.
- Sir Walter Scott
- The western sky twinkled with stars.
- (chiefly of eyes) to be bright with delight
- His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly.
- to bat, blink or wink the eyes
- Mrs. Juliet M. Hueffer Soskice, "Reminiscences of an Artist's Granddaughter",
- She smiled and gave a little nod and twinkled her eyes […]
- L'Estrange
- The owl fell a moping and twinkling.
- Mrs. Juliet M. Hueffer Soskice, "Reminiscences of an Artist's Granddaughter",
- to flit to and fro
- Dorothy Gilman, "Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle"
- A butterfly twinkled among the vines […]
- Dorothy Gilman, "Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle"
Synonyms
Translations
to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer
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to be bright with delight
to bat, blink or wink the eyes
to flit to and fro
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Noun
twinkle (plural twinkles)
- a sparkle or glimmer of light
- Robert De Beaugrande, "Text, Discourse, and Process",
- Soon the rocket was out of sight, and the flame was only seen as a tiny twinkle of light.
- Robert De Beaugrande, "Text, Discourse, and Process",
- a sparkle of delight in the eyes.
- He was a rotund, jolly man with a twinkle in his eye.
- a flitting movement
- James Russell Lowell, "Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell",
- I saw the twinkle of white feet,
- James Russell Lowell, "Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell",
Translations
a sparkle or glimmer of light
a flitting movement
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