blink
blink Lexical Profile
blink Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An act of shutting and opening the eyes very quickly.
"With a quick blink of her eyes, she cleared away the tears and continued reading."
A momentary gleam or flash of light, or a very brief moment of time.
"The entire summer vacation seemed to pass in a blink."
• verb
To shut and open the eyes quickly, either involuntarily or intentionally.
"He had to blink several times as he stepped out of the dark theater into the bright sunlight."
To shine intermittently or flash on and off (of a light or indicator).
"A tiny green light continued to blink on the router, indicating an active connection."
To yield, back down, or hesitate first in a confrontation or negotiation.
"Both negotiators held firm to their demands, waiting to see who would blink first."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Blink' typically refers to the rapid, often involuntary closing and opening of both eyes, whereas 'wink' refers to the deliberate closing and opening of a single eye as a signal or gesture.
• Rhymes for blink
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English blenken ('to shine, glitter, or glance'), likely reinforced by Middle Dutch blinken, of Germanic origin and related to 'blank' in the sense of shining or gleaming.