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Blink

//blɪŋk// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
The act of quickly closing both eyes and opening them again. countable, uncountable
2
A fan of the South Korean girl group Blackpink. slang
"The long-awaited solo from BLACKPINK's Jennie came along and was very well received by BLINKs everywhere."
3
Alternative letter-case form of Blink. alt-of
4
a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly wordnet
5
The time needed to close and reopen one's eyes. countable, figuratively, uncountable

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6
A text formatting feature that causes text to disappear and reappear as a form of visual emphasis. countable, uncountable
"I can think of no good reason to use blink because blinking text and images are annoying, they mark the creator as an amateur, and they have poor browser support."
7
A glimpse or glance. countable, uncountable
"This is the first blink that ever I had of him."
8
gleam; glimmer; sparkle UK, countable, dialectal, uncountable
"Not a blink of light was there."
9
The dazzling whiteness about the horizon caused by the reflection of light from fields of ice at sea; iceblink countable, uncountable
10
Boughs cast where deer are to pass, in order to turn or check them. countable, in-plural, uncountable
11
An ability that allows teleporting, mostly for short distances countable, uncountable

Verb

1
To close and reopen both eyes quickly. intransitive
"The loser in the staring game is the person who blinks first."
2
briefly shut the eyes wordnet
3
To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To close and reopen one's eyes to remove (something) from on or around the eyes. intransitive, transitive
"She blinked her tears away."
4
keep back by blinking wordnet
5
To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To wink; to twinkle with, or as with, the eye. intransitive
"One eye was blinking, and one leg was lame."

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6
gleam or glow intermittently wordnet
7
To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To see with the eyes half shut, or indistinctly and with frequent winking, as a person with weak eyes. intransitive
"Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne."
8
To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To shine, especially with intermittent light; to twinkle; to flicker; to glimmer, as a lamp. intransitive
"The dew was falling fast, the stars began to blink."
9
To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To glance. Geordie, intransitive, obsolete
"Now exile is over, I'll fly to the north, The home of my childhood, the place of my birth; O the transports of gladness that over me reign, To blink upon canny Newcastle again!"
10
To flash on and off at regular intervals.
"The blinking text on the screen was distracting."
11
To flash on and off at regular intervals.; To flash headlights on a car at.
"An urban legend claims that gang members will attack anyone who blinks them."
12
To flash on and off at regular intervals.; To send a signal with a lighting device.
"Don't come to the door until I blink twice."
13
To perform the smallest action that could solicit a response. excessive
"All the waiters in your grand cafe / Leave their tables when you blink."
14
To have the slightest doubt, hesitation or remorse.
"The soldier shot the intruders without so much as blinking."
15
To shut out of sight; to evade; to shirk. transitive
"to blink the question"
16
To turn slightly sour, or blinky, as beer, milk, etc.
17
To teleport, mostly for short distances.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English *blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”). Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitter, shine”), German blinken (“to flash, blink”), Danish blinke (“to flash, twinkle, wink, blink”), Swedish blinka (“to flash, blink, twinkle, wink, blink”). Related to blank, blick, blike, bleak.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

From a contraction of the group's name, itself a compound of black + pink, seemingly chosen as a homophone of blink.

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