twinkle

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”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈtwɪŋ.kəl/

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• Rhymes: -ɪŋkəl

twinkle (third-person singular simple present twinkles, present participle twinkling, simple past and past participle twinkled)

1. (of a source of light) To shine with a flickering light; to glimmer.

   We could see the lights of the village twinkling in the distance.

   • 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:

     These stars do not twinkle when viewed through telescopes that have large apertures.

   • 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh:  […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:

     The western sky twinkled with stars.

   • 1950 January, Arthur F. Beckenham, “With British Railways to the Far North”, in Railway Magazine, page 8:

     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.

2. (chiefly of eyes) To be bright with delight.

   Synonym: sparkle

   His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly.

3. To bat, blink or wink the eyes.
   • 1922, Mrs. Juliet M. Hueffer Soskice, Chapters from Childhood: Reminiscences of an Artist's Granddaughter, page 165:

     She smiled and gave a little nod and twinkled her eyes […]

   • 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:

     The Owl Fell a Moping and Twinkling.

4. To flit to and fro.
   • 1988, Dorothy Gilman, Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle, page 190:

     A butterfly twinkled among the vines […]

• glimmer
• scintillate
• wink

twinkle (plural twinkles)

1. A sparkle or glimmer of light.
   • 1980, Robert De Beaugrande, Text, Discourse, and Process:

     Soon the rocket was out of sight, and the flame was only seen as a tiny twinkle of light.

2. A sparkle of delight in the eyes.

   He was a rotund, jolly man with a twinkle in his eye.

3. A flitting movement.
   • 1848, James Russell Lowell, Hebe:

     I saw the twinkle of white feet,

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".