in·sin·u·a·tion

[in-sin-yoo-ey-shuhn]
noun
1.
an indirect or covert suggestion or hint, especially of a derogatory nature: She made nasty insinuations about her rivals.
2.
covert or artful suggestion or hinting, as of something implied: His methods of insinuation are most ingenious.
3.
subtle or artful instillment into the mind.
4.
the art or power of stealing into the affections and pleasing; ingratiation: He made his way by flattery and insinuation.
5.
Archaic. a slow winding, worming, or stealing in.
6.
Obsolete. an ingratiating act or speech.

Origin:
1520–30; < Latin insinuātion- (stem of insinuātiō). See insinuate, -ion

pre·in·sin·u·a·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To insinuation
00:10
Insinuation is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Collins
World English Dictionary
insinuation (ɪnˌsɪnjʊˈeɪʃən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  an indirect or devious hint or suggestion
2.  the act or practice of insinuating

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Example sentences
The question is legitimate, but insinuation itself is a bitter pill.
Instead, the brain files away a sea of clues, alert to the subtlest insinuation
  of a pattern.
But the insinuation goes beyond an error of omission: it involves intent.
The remark need not be construed into an insinuation that the work of last
  evening does not deserve to have larger audiences.
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