What does "blinker" mean?
Anything that blinks.
Blinker
/ˈblɪŋkə/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Anything that blinks.
- Grammar: blinker is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: flasher, turn signal, aid to navigation, alarm.
- Useful contrasts: no signal, steady light.
- Usage evidence: Tom turned on the right blinker.
How to use "blinker"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "blinker" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "blinker" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "blinker" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "blinker" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "blinker" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "flasher" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "blinker", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Anything that blinks.
"She was a frequent blinker, always on the verge of tears."
- 2 a light that flashes on and off; used as a signal or to send messages wordnet
- 3 The turn signal of an automobile. Australia, Northern-US, informal
- 4 blind consisting of a leather eyepatch sewn to the side of the halter that prevents a horse from seeing something on either side wordnet
- 5 A shield attached to the bridle of a horse or other domesticated animal to prevent it from seeing things behind it and to its side. in-plural
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a blinking light on a motor vehicle that indicates the direction in which the vehicle is about to turn wordnet
- 7 Whatever obstructs sight or discernment.
"This floor let not the vulgar tread, / Who worship only what they dread: / Nor bigots who but one way see, / Through blinkers of authority"
- 8 The eyelid. rare
- 9 A black eye. slang
"The next morning, Jimmy came home with a fat lip and a black eye. Flory rushed over to tend to him. “Ain't nothin'. Just a blinker... had a fight with a guy. […]"
- 10 In Conway's Game of Life, an arrangement of three cells in a row that switches between horizontal and vertical orientations in each generation.
"The following for example, doesn't work because the spark at the top is actually a blinker, and doesn't die. Without the blinker, this object is known as an OWSS (overweight spaceship)."
- 11 A situation where the light of a dab pen or vape starts blinking, which happens when the user takes an extremely long hit. slang
"a double blinker (hitting blinkers on two pens simultaneously)"
Verb
- 1 To put blinkers on. transitive
"The farmer stopped to blinker his horse before riding into an area of heavy traffic."
- 2 put blinders on (a horse) wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
no signalsteady light
Example
"Tom turned on the right blinker."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "blinker"?
Common synonyms include: flasher, turn signal, aid to navigation, alarm, amber light, balefire.
How do you use "blinker" in a sentence?
Tom turned on the right blinker.
How do you pronounce "blinker"?
Pronounced /ˈblɪŋkə/.
Etymology
From blink + -er.