kink

[ kingk ]
See synonyms for: kinkkinkedkinking on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a twist or curl, as in a thread, rope, wire, or hair, caused by its doubling or bending upon itself: The kink in the hose was restricting the water flow.

  2. a muscular stiffness or soreness, as in the neck or back: The kink in my neck was making it difficult to turn my head at all.

  1. a flaw or imperfection likely to hinder the successful operation of something, such as a machine or plan: There are still a few kinks to be worked out of the design before we start production.

  2. Slang.

    • unconventional sexual preferences or behavior collectively.

    • a particular sexual preference or behavior that is unconventional.

    • a person characterized by such preferences or behavior; kinkster.

  3. a mental twist; notion; whim.

verb (used with or without object)
  1. to form or cause to form a twist or curl, as in a rope: The high tensile steel wire ensures the product will not kink in the sharpest bend.

Origin of kink

1
First recorded in 1670–80; from Dutch: “a twist in a rope”; perhaps akin to kick

Other words from kink

  • un·kink, verb

Words Nearby kink

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use kink in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kink

kink

/ (kɪŋk) /


noun
  1. a sharp twist or bend in a wire, rope, hair, etc, esp one caused when it is pulled tight

  2. a crick in the neck or similar muscular spasm

  1. a flaw or minor difficulty in some undertaking or project

  2. a flaw or idiosyncrasy of personality; quirk

  3. British informal a sexual deviation

  4. US a clever or unusual idea

verb
  1. to form or cause to form a kink

Origin of kink

1
C17: from Dutch: a curl in a rope; compare Middle Low German kinke kink, Old Norse kinka to nod

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012