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blink

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BLINK
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blink

  [blingk]
Use blink in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to open and close the eye, esp. involuntarily; wink rapidly and repeatedly.
2. to look with winking or half-shut eyes: I blinked at the harsh morning light.
3. to be startled, surprised, or dismayed (usually fol. by at): She blinked at his sudden fury.
4. to look evasively or with indifference; ignore (often fol. by at): to blink at another's eccentricities.
5. to shine unsteadily, dimly, or intermittently; twinkle: The light on the buoy blinked in the distance.
–verb (used with object)
6. to open and close (the eye or eyes), usually rapidly and repeatedly; wink: She blinked her eyes in an effort to wake up.
7. to cause (something) to blink: We blinked the flashlight frantically, but there was no response.
8. to ignore deliberately; evade; shirk.
–noun
9. an act of blinking: The faithful blink of the lighthouse.
10. a gleam; glimmer: There was not a blink of light anywhere.
11. Chiefly Scot. a glance or glimpse.
12. Meteorology.
a. iceblink.
b. snowblink.
—Idiom
13. on the blink, not in proper working order; in need of repair: The washing machine is on the blink again.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME blinken (v.), var. of blenken to blench 1 ; c. D, G blinken

Synonyms:
1. See wink 1 . 8. overlook, disregard, avoid, condone. 9. wink, flicker, twinkle, flutter.
BLINK
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ice⋅blink

  [ahys-blingk]
–noun
a yellowish luminosity near the horizon or on the underside of a cloud, caused by the reflection of light from sea ice.
Also called blink.
Compare snowblink.

Origin:
1765–75; ice + blink; cf. D ijsblink
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To blink
blink   (blĭngk)   
v.   blinked, blink·ing, blinks

v.   intr.

  1. To close and open one or both of the eyes rapidly.

  2. To look through half-closed eyes, as in a bright glare; squint.

  3. To shine with intermittent gleams; flash on and off.

    1. To be startled or dismayed.

    2. To waver or back down, as in a contest of wills: "This was the first genuine, direct confrontation between this administration and the Soviets. It was the U.S.A. that blinked" (Zbigniew Brzezinski).

  5. To look with feigned ignorance: a mayor who blinks at the corruption in city government.

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to blink.

  2. To hold back or remove from the eyes by blinking: blinked back the tears.

  3. To refuse to recognize or face: blink ugly facts.

  4. To transmit (a message) with a flashing light.

n.  

  1. The act or an instance of rapidly closing and opening the eyes or an eye.

  2. An instant: I'll be back in a blink.

  3. Scots A quick look or glimpse; a glance.

  4. A flash of light; a twinkle.

  5. See iceblink.


[Probably Middle English blinken, to move suddenly, variant of blenchen; see blench1.]
Synonyms: These verbs mean to open and close the eyelids or an eyelid rapidly: a dog blinking lazily at the fire; reptiles nictitating; twinkled, then laughed and responded; winked conspiratorially at his friend.
ice·blink   (īs'blĭngk')   
n.  

  1. A yellowish glare in the sky over an ice field. Also called blink.

  2. A coastal ice cliff.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

blink 
1590, from M.Du. blinken "to glitter," of uncertain origin (possibly akin to bleach; cf. Ger. blinken "to gleam, sparkle, twinkle"). M.E. used blekne in this sense, related to blench (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1blink
Pronunciation: 'bli[ng]k
Function: intransitive verb
: to close and open the eyes involuntarily (as when struggling againstdrowsiness or when dazzled) blink transitive senses
1 : to close and open (the eye) involuntarily
2 : to remove (as tears) from the eye byblinking

Main Entry: 2blink
Function: noun
: a usually involuntary shutting and opening of the eye
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

blink

see on the blink.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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