blink

USBLINK/blɪŋk/

Noun pluralblinks

22 meanings of blink

1
verbintransitive
To shut both eyes and open them again very quickly.
Like a light switch flicking off and on again really fast.
He blinked when the bright light hit his face.
Babies blink less often than adults do.
Note
2
nouncountable
A quick shutting and opening of both eyes.
Like a fast flash of dark as your eyelids drop and lift.
A single blink cleared the dust from her vision.
With one blink, he brought the page back into focus.
3
nounfigurativelyusually singular
A very short moment of time.
Like the snap of your fingers: gone almost before it starts.
The whole accident was over in a blink.
The years of childhood seem to pass in a blink.
Similarinstant, flash, moment, heartbeat, trice
4
verbintransitive
To show even a little doubt, fear, or regret.
Like staying calm and steady when something scary happens.
He didn't blink when they raised the price.
She faced the danger without blinking once.
Similarflinch, falter, waver, hesitate
Note
5
verbintransitive
To shine on and off again and again.
Like a light that keeps turning on and off, over and over.
The cursor blinks at the start of the empty line.
Red lights blink along the top of the radio tower.
Similarflash, wink
6
verbtransitive or intransitive
To shut and open your eyes to clear something away from them.
Like wiping a window with your eyelids to clear it.
He blinked the rain out of his eyes.
Blink a few times to clear your vision.
7
verbtransitive
To send a message by flashing a light on and off.
Like sending a secret code with a flashlight.
The ship blinked a message to the shore.
Sailors blink signals across the water at night.
Similarflash, signal
8
verbtransitive
To quickly flash your car headlights at another driver.
Like waving at someone, but with your car lights.
She blinked the oncoming truck to warn of police ahead.
Drivers often blink each other to say thanks.
Similarflash
9
nouncountable
A quick look at something.
She caught a blink of the sea between the buildings.
He gave the menu only a blink before ordering.
Similarglimpse, glance, peek
10
verbintransitive
To instantly move a short distance from one spot to another.
Like vanishing from one place and popping up nearby a second later.
The mage can blink across the room to dodge attacks.
She blinked behind the enemy and struck.
Similarteleport
Note

11
noununcountable
A power that lets a character jump a short distance in an instant.
Like a magic step that moves you a short way all at once.
Her blink let her escape the trap just in time.
He used blink to reach the ledge above.
Similarteleport
Note
12
verbintransitive
To shine on and off with an unsteady light.
Like a Christmas light that turns on and off again and again.
The lights on the tower blink all through the night.
A single star blinked far above the hills.
Similarflicker, twinkle, flash, wink, glimmer
Note
13
verbintransitive
To wink, or signal something with a quick eye movement.
Like giving someone a quick wink to share a secret.
She likes to blink at her friends when she shares a secret.
He blinked across the room to let her know he agreed.
Similarwink
14
noununcountable
A screen effect that makes text flash off and on to grab attention.
Like a sign whose letters keep flashing off and on.
The page used blink to make its headline flash on and off.
Designers added blink to the banner so visitors would notice it.
Note
15
verbintransitive
To make the tiniest move that could get a reaction from someone.
Like a staring contest, where the first one to move loses.
Neither side wanted to blink during the long talks.
He refused to blink, even when the other team raised the stakes.
Similarflinch, budge, yield
Note
16
verbintransitive
To look at something with your eyes half closed, blinking a lot.
Like trying to read tiny words when your eyes are tired.
Without his glasses, he can only blink at the blurry words on the page.
She blinked through half-closed eyes at the dim, distant shape.
Similarsquint, peer
Note
17
verbtransitive
To avoid or ignore something instead of dealing with it.
Like turning your back on a mess instead of cleaning it up.
Leaders should not blink the hard questions their voters ask.
She tried to blink the problem, hoping it would go away.
Similarevade, dodge, shirk, sidestep, duck
Oppositeconfront, face, tackle
Note
18
nouncountable
A bright white glow in the sky above the horizon, caused by light bouncing off sea ice.
Like the glow a white floor throws onto the ceiling above it.
The sailors saw a bright blink over the horizon and knew ice lay ahead.
A pale blink in the northern sky warned the crew of pack ice.
Note
19
noundialectalUKcountable
A small flash or gleam of light.
Like a quick flash of light off a shiny coin.
There was a blink of sunlight on the wet road.
She caught a blink of gold among the stones.
Similargleam, glimmer, sparkle, glint, twinkle
Note
20
verbintransitive
To begin to turn sour, as milk or beer does.
Like fruit that starts to go bad before it is fully rotten.
Left in the warm dairy, the milk will blink within a day.
The ale had begun to blink, tasting faintly sour by Friday.
Similarsour, turn
21
verbobsoleteGeordieintransitive
To take a quick look at something.
Now exile is over, I'll fly to the north, The home of my childhood, the place of my birth; O the transports of gladness that over me reign, To blink upon canny Newcastle again!
1850, J. P. Robson, editorHere, blink means look, to take a quick look at the city again.
Note
22
noununcountableplural
Branches placed in a deer's path to turn it or slow it down.
Like putting branches in a path to make animals turn a different way.
The hunters laid blink across the trail to steer the deer.
A line of blink turned the herd toward the open field.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From an old English word linked to Proto-Germanic words meaning "to gleam or shine." It is related to words like German blinken ("to flash, blink").