blink

English Online Dictionary. What means blink‎? What does blink mean?

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blɪŋk/
• Rhymes: -ɪŋk

Verb

blink (third-person singular simple present blinks, present participle blinking, simple past and past participle blinked)

1. (intransitive) To close and reopen both eyes quickly.
   1. (transitive) To close and reopen one's eyes to remove (something) from on or around the eyes.

   2. To wink; to twinkle with, or as with, the eye.
   3. To see with the eyes half shut, or indistinctly and with frequent winking, as a person with weak eyes.
   4. To shine, especially with intermittent light; to twinkle; to flicker; to glimmer, as a lamp.
   5. (Geordie, obsolete) To glance.
2. To flash on and off at regular intervals.
   1. To flash headlights on a car at.

   2. To send a signal with a lighting device.

3. (hyperbolic) To perform the smallest action that could solicit a response.
4. (in negative constructions) To have the slightest doubt, hesitation or remorse.

5. (transitive) To shut out of sight; to evade; to shirk.
6. To turn slightly sour, or blinky, as beer, milk, etc.
7. (science fiction, video games) To teleport, mostly for short distances.

Synonyms

• (close and open both eyes quickly): nictitate

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

blink (countable and uncountable, plural blinks)

1. The act of quickly closing both eyes and opening them again.
2. (figuratively) The time needed to close and reopen one's eyes.
3. (computing) A text formatting feature that causes text to disappear and reappear as a form of visual emphasis.
4. A glimpse or glance.
5. (UK, dialect) gleam; glimmer; sparkle
6. (nautical) The dazzling whiteness about the horizon caused by the reflection of light from fields of ice at sea; iceblink
7. (sports, in the plural) Boughs cast where deer are to pass, in order to turn or check them.
8. (video games) An ability that allows teleporting, mostly for short distances

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Danish

Verb

blink

1. imperative of blinke

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪŋk

Verb

blink

1. inflection of blinken:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

German

Pronunciation

Verb

blink

1. singular imperative of blinken
2. (colloquial) first-person singular present of blinken

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From the verb blinke.

Noun

blink m (definite singular blinken, indefinite plural blinker, definite plural blinkene)

1. a target, bullseye

   treffe midt i blinken ― hit the bullseye

Synonyms

• skyteskive

Derived terms

• midt i blinken

Noun

blink n

1. flash, glimpse

Derived terms

• blinklys
• øyeblikk

See also

• lynglimt

Verb

blink

1. imperative of blinke

References

• “blink” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From the verb blinke.

Noun

blink m (definite singular blinken, indefinite plural blinkar, definite plural blinkane)

1. a target, bullseye

Synonyms

• skyteskive

Derived terms

• augneblink

Verb

blink

1. imperative of blinka

References

• “blink” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Noun

blink c

1. a blink, a flash

   Synonym: blinkning

Declension

Noun

blink n

1. flashing, blinking

   Synonym: blinkande

Declension

Related terms

• blinka
• blinkers
• blinkning

References

• blink in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• blink in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• blink in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)