Tiddlywink

//ˈtɪdəlɪwɪŋk// noun, verb, slang

noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An unlicensed beerhouse or pawnshop. UK, archaic, dialectal, obsolete, slang
  2. 2
    A small disc used in the game of tiddlywinks; (by extension) a similar disc or counter used in other games. UK, archaic, obsolete
  3. 3
    An alcoholic drink. Cockney, UK, archaic, obsolete, slang
  4. 4
    A game played using dominoes. UK, archaic, obsolete
Verb
  1. 1
    Especially of something disc-shaped: to flip over like a disc used in the game of tiddlywinks. UK, archaic, intransitive, obsolete
  2. 2
    To play tiddlywinks. UK, archaic, intransitive, obsolete

Synonyms

All synonyms
kiddlywinkwinkwink

Etymology

Etymology 1

Sense 1 (“unlicensed beerhouse or pawnshop”) and sense 2 (“alcoholic drink”) are possibly related to tiddly (“(noun) alcoholic beverage; (adjective) somewhat drunk”).

Etymology 2

The noun is possibly derived from tiddly (“(informal) little, tiny”) + wink (“blinking of one eye”), perhaps borrowed from etymology 1. The game, now called tiddlywinks, was patented by a British bank clerk, Joseph Assheton Fincher (1863–1900), on 19 October 1889, and the name Tiddledy-Winks trademarked by him the same year. The verb is derived from the noun.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.