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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.