blink

== 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 Hyphenation: blink === Verb === blink (third-person singular simple present blinks, present participle blinking, simple past and past participle blinked) (intransitive) To close and reopen both eyes quickly. (transitive) To close and reopen one's eyes to remove (something) from on or around the eyes. To wink; to twinkle with, or as with, the eye. To see with the eyes half shut, or indistinctly and with frequent winking, as a person with weak eyes. To shine, especially with intermittent light; to twinkle; to flicker; to glimmer, as a lamp. (Geordie, obsolete) To glance. To flash on and off at regular intervals. To flash headlights on a car at. To send a signal with a lighting device. (hyperbolic) To perform the smallest action that could solicit a response. (in negative constructions) To have the slightest doubt, hesitation or remorse. (transitive) To shut the eyes to (something); to evade, ignore. 1921, Montagu Lomax, The Experiences of an Asylum Doctor, p. 63: It is no use blinking the unpleasant fact. To turn slightly sour, or blinky, as beer, milk, etc. (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) The act of quickly closing both eyes and opening them again. (figuratively) The time needed to close and reopen one's eyes. (computing) A text formatting feature that causes text to disappear and reappear as a form of visual emphasis. A glimpse or glance. (UK, dialect) gleam; glimmer; sparkle (nautical) The dazzling whiteness about the horizon caused by the reflection of light from fields of ice at sea; iceblink (sports, in the plural) Boughs cast where deer are to pass, in order to turn or check them. (video games) An ability that allows teleporting, mostly for short distances ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== == Danish == === Verb === blink imperative of blinke == Dutch == === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -ɪŋk === Verb === blink inflection of blinken: first-person singular present indicative (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative imperative == German == === Pronunciation === === Verb === blink singular imperative of blinken (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) a target, bullseye treffe midt i blinken ― hit the bullseye ==== Synonyms ==== skyteskive ==== Derived terms ==== midt i blinken === Noun === blink n flash, glimpse ==== Derived terms ==== blinklys øyeblikk ==== See also ==== lynglimt === Verb === blink 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) a target, bullseye ==== Synonyms ==== skyteskive ==== Derived terms ==== augneblink === Verb === blink imperative of blinka === References === “blink” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. == Swedish == === Noun === blink c a blink, a flash Synonym: blinkning ==== Declension ==== === Noun === blink n flashing, blinking Synonym: blinkande ==== Declension ==== === Related terms === blinka blinkers blinkning === References === “blink”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish) “blink”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish) “blink”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)