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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

twinkle en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈtwɪŋ.kəl/
  • (US) audio

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”).

Meanings

  1. 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. 1980, Robert De Beaugrande, Text, Discourse, and Process:
  2. 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. 1595, Edmunde Spenser [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “[Amoretti.] Sonnet XVI”, in Amoretti and Epithalamion. […], London: […] [Peter Short] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, signature B, verso:
  3. A flitting movement.
    • I saw the twinkle of white feet, 1848, James Russell Lowell, Hebe:
  4. (colloquial) A brief moment; a twinkling.
  5. (childish) The female genitalia.
    • The popular Swedish cartoon song about genitals was translated as "Willie and Twinkle".

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
twinkles Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

twinkle-toed · twinkle in one's father's eye · twinkle toes · twinkle in one's daddy's eye

Synonyms

old hat · sec · bat of an eye · jiffy · clunge · beef curtains · front bottom · bit · vulva · spark · monosyllable · flit · flash · whisker biscuit · twinkling · glint · pee-pee · axe wound · half a mo · beaver · quim · fur pie · bun · poontang · burger · trap · front hole · front bottom · vertical smile · tick · no time · na-na · glister · sheath · ham sandwich · cavern · vagina · Grand Canyon · scut · coin slot · glimpse · stound · poontang · yoni · beaver · axe wound · twinkle · hoo-ha · coochie · girl penis · flitter · cookie · coochie · strange · while · sugar walls · jiff · vaginer · snatch · tuppence · mooshoo · moment · love box · quiff · chocha · pink bits · twinkle · treasures · vadge · moocha · slit · fish lips · fanny · trice · nonny · pink · love tunnel · juice box · roast beef · pink · pussy · spurt · muff · mott · cunny · span · slit · va-jay-jay · la-la · noonie · gash · muff · New York second · muffin · twat · hair pie · Victoria · minute · mo · crack · snapper · twat · moocha · minge · coot · snatch · prat · crack · cooze · bearded clam · kitty · punani · ginch · penis fly trap · minge · vulva · twink · cunny · crevice · quaint · rat · kitty · coochy · squish mitten · box · twinkle · stench trench · wee-wee · second · sausage wallet · gash · vag · minnie · honeypot · berk · eyeblink · fur burger · foo-foo · minnie · honey hole · cooter · it · slot · blink of an eye · ladybits · bush · innie · New York minute · punani · girl · badly packed kebab · wizard's sleeve · quim · vagina · nonny · vajay · Vicky · moment · cunt · cooch · cooter · bearded clam · wee-wee · crack · clam · pump · kebab · tuppence · cooch · jot · va-jay-jay · gee · twinkling · cunt · pudendum muliebre · vadge · front bum · muffin · twink · minnie · pee-pee · pussy · kebab · split-second · bonne bouche · cookie · pee flap · nooky · Virginia · foo-foo · instant · fanny · foo-foo · instant

Translations (65)

ka კიაფი (sparkle or glimmer of light) · fi pilke (sparkle or glimmer of light) · bg блясък (sparkle of delight in the eyes) · ru порха́ние (flitting movement) · hu puni (female genitalia) · nb tissekone (female genitalia) · sl lulika (female genitalia) · it farfallina (female genitalia) · ka გაელვება (sparkle or glimmer of light) · ka კაშკაში (sparkle or glimmer of light) · pt perereca (female genitalia) · ro păsărică (female genitalia) · kl utsuit (female genitalia) · hy առկայծում (sparkle or glimmer of light) · sv snippa (female genitalia) · fo pitta (female genitalia) · ca petxina (female genitalia) · pl cipka (female genitalia) · ka გამოკრთომა (sparkle or glimmer of light) · ka ციალი (sparkle or glimmer of light) · se cincu (female genitalia) · ka ელვარება (sparkle or glimmer of light) · pl kuciapka (female genitalia) · se cinˈni (female genitalia) · is píka (female genitalia) · tr kuku (female genitalia) · ru пипи́ська (female genitalia) · bg блещукане (sparkle or glimmer of light) · ka ციმციმი (sparkle or glimmer of light) · ca patatona (female genitalia) · fr zézette (female genitalia) · it luccichio (sparkle of delight in the eyes) · nl poenie (female genitalia) · ka აელვარება (sparkle or glimmer of light) · ka ბრწყინვა (sparkle or glimmer of light) · fi pimppa (female genitalia) · ga glioscarnach (sparkle or glimmer of light) · nb jentetiss (female genitalia) · fi pimppi (female genitalia) · ga glioscarnach (sparkle of delight in the eyes) · cs pipina (female genitalia) · fi pilke (sparkle of delight in the eyes) · cmn 妹妹 (female genitalia) · da tissekone (female genitalia) · es chochete (female genitalia) · ka კვესა (sparkle or glimmer of light) · it scintillio (sparkle of delight in the eyes) · fi tuike (sparkle or glimmer of light) · hu nuni (female genitalia) · et tussu (female genitalia) · es chichi (female genitalia) · fi välke (sparkle or glimmer of light) · ru пи́ська (female genitalia) · ka კრთომა (sparkle or glimmer of light) · it patatina (female genitalia) · ru сия́ние (sparkle of delight in the eyes) · ka კამკამი (sparkle or glimmer of light) · ru мерца́ние (sparkle or glimmer of light) · fr foufoune (female genitalia) · de Mumu (female genitalia) · pt pepeca (female genitalia) · ka ბჟუტვა (sparkle or glimmer of light) · ka ნაკვესი (sparkle of delight in the eyes) · it barlume (sparkle or glimmer of light) · it bagliore (sparkle or glimmer of light)

twinkle en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈtwɪŋ.kəl/
  • (US) audio

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”).

Meanings

  1. (of a source of light) To shine with a flickering light; to glimmer.
    • These stars do not twinkle when viewed through telescopes that have large apertures. 1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:
    • The western sky twinkled with stars. 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:
    • As the train rumbled slowly over the Forth Bridge, the western sky was aflame with a particularly gorgeous sunset, and lights were twinkling from the small craft riding at anchor on the calm waters of the firth. 1950 January, Arthur F. Beckenham, “With British Railways to the Far North”, in Railway Magazine, page 8:
    • We could see the lights of the village twinkling in the distance.
  2. (of eyes) To be bright with delight.
    • His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly.
  3. To bat, blink or wink the eyes.
    • The Owl Fell a Moping and Twinkling. 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC:
    • She smiled and gave a little nod and twinkled her eyes[…] 1922, Mrs. Juliet M. Hueffer Soskice, Chapters from Childhood: Reminiscences of an Artist's Granddaughter, page 165:
  4. To flit to and fro.
    • A butterfly twinkled among the vines[…] 1988, Dorothy Gilman, Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle, page 190:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
twinkling Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
twinkled Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
twinkled Tense=Past lexicographic
twinkles Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

twinkle out · twinklesome · twinkly · twinkleless · atwinkle · twinkler · Twinkie

Synonyms

flicker · flirt · fulgurate · flicker · scintillate · flutter · nictitate · glimmer · wink · sparkle · shimmer

Translations (67)

ta மின்னு (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ru мерца́ть (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · mi rikoriko (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · fi tuikkia (to be bright with delight) · ang blīcan (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · fi säihkyä (to be bright with delight) · pt cintilar (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ka იელვებს (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · mi kikiwa (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · sv tindra (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · da fare (to flit to and fro) · mr लुकलुकणे (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ka კრთება (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · bg примигвам (to bat, blink or wink the eyes) · ru порха́ть туда́-сюда́ (to flit to and fro) · fr briller (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · it scintillare (to be bright with delight) · fr virevolter (to flit to and fro) · ka ციმციმებს (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · de funkeln (to be bright with delight) · fi tuikkia (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · pt tremeluzir (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · da skinne (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ru сия́ть (to be bright with delight) · ka კამკამებს (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · az sayrışmaq (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · qu chinpiy (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ro licări (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ka კიაფობს (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · da skinne (to be bright with delight) · it luccicare (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · hy փայլատակել (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · es fulgurar (to be bright with delight) · de zwinkern (to bat, blink or wink the eyes) · es escintilar (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · he נצנץ (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · fi vilkuttaa (to bat, blink or wink the eyes) · eo brili (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · de funkeln (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · az qırpmaq (to bat, blink or wink the eyes) · mr लुकलुकणे (to be bright with delight) · ka ციალებს (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · mi hinātore (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · fr cligner (to bat, blink or wink the eyes) · es refulgir (to be bright with delight) · cs blikat (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · bg блестя (to be bright with delight) · nv dah dinisxǫs (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · da blinke (to bat, blink or wink the eyes) · it scintillare (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · pl migotać (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · mi whakawhetū (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · it brillare (to be bright with delight) · ar لَأْلَأَ (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · es titilar (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ru мига́ть (to bat, blink or wink the eyes) · hy առկայծել (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · bg блещукам (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · fr briller (to be bright with delight) · fi pyrähdellä (to flit to and fro) · ro pâlpâi (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · mi taukapo (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ka კრთის (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ka ბჟუტავს (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · ru порха́ть (to flit to and fro) · ro sclipi (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer) · la micō (to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer)