twinkle

present singular third person twinkles · participle present twinkling · participle past twinkled · past twinkled

1. To shine with a flickering light; to glimmer.

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

   3 more examples

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

   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

   The western sky twinkled with stars.

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

   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.

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

   Synonyms: flicker, fulgurate, glimmer, scintillate, shimmer, wink

2. To be bright with delight.

   His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly.

   Synonyms: sparkle

3. To bat, blink or wink the eyes.

   The Owl Fell a Moping and Twinkling.

   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

   1 more example

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

   1922, Mrs. Juliet M. Hueffer Soskice, Chapters from Childhood: Reminiscences of an Artist's Granddaughter, page 165

   Synonyms: nictitate

4. To flit to and fro.

   A butterfly twinkled among the vines[…]

   1988, Dorothy Gilman, Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle, page 190

   Synonyms: flicker, flirt, flutter

plural twinkles

1. A sparkle or glimmer of light.

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

   1980, Robert De Beaugrande, Text, Discourse, and Process

   Synonyms: glint, glister, spark, twink

2. A sparkle of delight in the eyes.

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

   1 more example

   One of thoſe archers cloſely I did ſpy, / ayming his arrovv at my very hart: / vvhen ſuddenly vvith tvvincle of her eye, / the Damzell broke his miſintended dart.

   1595, Edmunde Spenser [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “[Amoretti.] Sonnet XVI”, in Amoretti and Epithalamion. […], London: […] [Peter Short] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, signature B, verso

3. A flitting movement.

   I saw the twinkle of white feet,

   1848, James Russell Lowell, Hebe

   Synonyms: flit, flitter

4. colloquialA brief moment; a twinkling.

   Synonyms: instant, moment, twinkling, bat of an eye, bit, blink of an eye, crack, eyeblink

5. childishThe female genitalia.

   The popular Swedish cartoon song about genitals was translated as "Willie and Twinkle".

   Synonyms: foo-foo, minnie, axe wound, bearded clam, beaver, berk, bonne bouche, box