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wink at

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wink

1  [wingk]
Use wink at in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to close and open one or both eyes quickly.
2. to close and open one eye quickly as a hint or signal or with some sly meaning (often fol. by at): She winked at him across the room.
3. (of the eyes) to close and open thus; blink.
4. to shine with little flashes of light; twinkle: The city lights winked in the distance.
–verb (used with object)
5. to close and open (one or both eyes) quickly; execute or give (a wink).
6. to drive or force by winking (usually fol. by back or away): She attempted to wink back the tears.
7. to signal or convey by a wink.
–noun
8. an act of winking.
9. a winking movement, esp. of one eye in giving a hint or signal.
10. a hint or signal given by winking.
11. the time required for winking once; an instant or twinkling: I'll be there in a wink.
12. a little flash of light; twinkle.
13. the least bit: I didn't sleep a wink last night.
—Verb phrase
14. wink at, to ignore deliberately, as to avoid the necessity of taking action: to wink at minor offenses.
Origin:
bef. 900; (v.) ME winken, OE wincian; c. G winken to wave, signal; (n.) ME: nap, deriv. of the v.

Related forms:
wink⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. Wink, blink refer to rapid motions of the eyelid. To wink is to close and open either one or both eyelids with a rapid motion. To blink suggests a sleepy, dazed, or dazzled condition in which it is difficult to focus the eyes or see clearly: Bright sun makes one blink. 4. sparkle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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wink   (wĭngk)   
v.   winked, wink·ing, winks

v.   intr.

  1. To close and open the eyelid of one eye deliberately, as to convey a message, signal, or suggestion.

  2. To close and open the eyelids of both eyes; blink. See Synonyms at blink.

  3. To shine fitfully; twinkle: Harbor lights were winking in the distance.

v.   tr.

  1. To close and open (an eye or the eyes) rapidly.

  2. To signal or express by winking.

n.  

    1. The act of winking.

    2. A signal or hint conveyed by winking.

  2. The very brief time required for a wink; an instant.

  3. A quick closing and opening of the eyelids; a blink.

  4. A gleam or twinkle.

  5. Informal A brief period of sleep.

Phrasal Verb(s):
wink atTo pretend not to see: winked at corruption in the ministry.
wink outTo come to a close; end.

[Middle English winken, to close one's eyes, from Old English wincian.]
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

wink  (v.)
O.E. wincian "to nod, wink," from P.Gmc. *wenkanan (cf. Du. wenken, O.H.G. winkan, Ger. winken), a gradational variant of the root of O.H.G. wankon "to stagger, totter," O.N. vakka "to stray, hover," from PIE *weng- "to bend, curve." The meaning "close an eye as a hint or signal" is first recorded c.1100; that of "close one's eyes to fault or irregularity" first attested c.1480. The noun is recorded from 1303; meaning "very brief moment of time" is attested from 1585.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2wink
Function: noun
: a quick closing and opening of the eyelids : BLINK
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

wink (wĭngk)
v. winked, wink·ing, winks

  1. To close and open the eyelid of one eye deliberately, as to convey a message, signal, or suggestion.

  2. To close and open the eyelids of both eyes; blink.

n.
A quick closing and opening of the eyelids; a blink.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Idioms & Phrases

wink at

Deliberately overlook, pretend not to see, as in Sometimes it's wise to wink at a friend's shortcomings. This idiom, first recorded in 1537, uses wink in the sense of "close one's eyes."

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