Blink

/blɪŋk/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A brief closing of the eyes.

In the blink of an eye, the magician made the coin disappear.

A momentary pause or brief interval.

It all happened in the blink; I couldn't believe how fast everything changed.

verb

To close and open the eyes quickly.

He felt tired and had to blink several times to keep his eyes open.

To momentarily shut the eyes or to appear briefly.

The bright lights caused me to blink rapidly.

To flash on and off, as in lights or signals.

The emergency lights began to blink, signaling a warning.

Middle English blinken, probably of imitative origin

blink of an eye

A very short amount of time.

don't blink

Don't hesitate or miss an opportunity.

blink twice

Indication to confirm a non-verbal message.

winkle

To twist or turn, also related to closing of eyes.

glimmer

A faint or weak light that can appear quickly, similar to blinking.

To miss something important

Don't blink or you might miss the good part.

To fall asleep briefly

I blinked out during the meeting.