# blink

Pronunciation: US say "BLINK" /blɪŋk/; UK

## Verb

1. To close both eyes for an instant and open them again.
   - Simple: To shut both eyes and open them again very quickly.
   - _She blinked rapidly, trying to focus in the dim room._
   - _Most people blink about fifteen times a minute._
4. To show any sign of doubt, hesitation, or remorse, however slight.
   - Simple: To show even a little doubt, fear, or regret.
   - _The negotiator named a huge figure and the buyer didn't blink._
   - _Soldiers train for years so they won't blink under fire._
5. To go on and off repeatedly at a steady rhythm, as a light does.
   - Simple: To shine on and off again and again.
   - _The cursor blinked steadily, waiting for input._
   - _Hazard lights blink to warn approaching drivers._
6. To close and reopen the eyes in order to clear something from on or around them.
   - Simple: To shut and open your eyes to clear something away from them.
   - _She blinked away the tears before anyone noticed._
   - _Swimmers blink to flush chlorine from their eyes._
7. To send a signal using a lighting device that flashes on and off.
   - Simple: To send a message by flashing a light on and off.
   - _The lighthouse keeper blinked a warning to the passing fleet._
   - _Rescue teams blink coded signals when radios fail._
8. To flash the headlights of a car at another driver, usually as a signal.
   - Simple: To quickly flash your car headlights at another driver.
   - _He blinked the car behind him to let it pass._
   - _Locals blink approaching cars to warn of a speed trap._
10. To teleport, usually over a short distance, appearing almost instantly at a nearby location.
   - Simple: To instantly move a short distance from one spot to another.
   - _The character blinked past the laser grid before it activated._
   - _Players can blink through walls in the latest update._
12. To shine with an unsteady, flickering light, as a lamp or a distant star.
   - Simple: To shine on and off with an unsteady light.
   - _Far across the harbor, the buoys blink red and green after dark._
   - _The old lantern blinked weakly as the oil ran low._
13. To wink, or to twinkle with the eye or as if with it.
   - Simple: To wink, or signal something with a quick eye movement.
   - _The actors blink slyly at the audience during the comic scenes._
   - _She blinked at him, a silent signal that the plan was on._
15. To make the smallest move that could draw a reaction from someone else.
   - Simple: To make the tiniest move that could get a reaction from someone.
   - _In high-stakes negotiations, the first to blink often loses the advantage._
   - _The two leaders stared each other down, and neither would blink._
16. To see with the eyes half shut, peering indistinctly and winking often, as someone with weak sight does.
   - Simple: To look at something with your eyes half closed, blinking a lot.
   - _The old man blinked at the menu, holding it close to make out the letters._
   - _In the glare off the water, swimmers blink and squint to spot the shore._
17. To shut something out of sight, or to evade or shirk it.
   - Simple: To avoid or ignore something instead of dealing with it.
   - _The committee blinked the issue rather than confront it directly._
   - _You cannot blink your responsibilities forever._
20. To turn slightly sour, as beer, milk, or similar drinks do when going off.
   - Simple: To begin to turn sour, as milk or beer does.
   - _In the summer heat, the milk soon blinks and develops a sour edge._
   - _The cream will blink fast if it sits out of the cold._

## Noun

2. A quick closing and reopening of both eyes.
   - Simple: A quick shutting and opening of both eyes.
   - _The doctor watched each blink for signs of irritation._
   - _A nervous blink gave away his discomfort._
3. A very brief interval of time; the moment it takes to close and reopen the eyes.
   - Simple: A very short moment of time.
   - _The thief vanished in a blink, leaving no trace behind._
   - _In a blink, the calm sea turned violent._
9. A quick glimpse or glance at something.
   - Simple: A quick look at something.
   - _From the hilltop they caught a blink of the city far below._
   - _A single blink at the letter was enough to tell her it was bad news._
11. A short-range teleportation ability that moves a character almost instantly to a nearby position.
   - Simple: A power that lets a character jump a short distance in an instant.
   - _The assassin's blink made her nearly impossible to pin down._
   - _With blink off cooldown, he dove into the fight._
14. A text formatting feature that makes text disappear and reappear to draw visual attention.
   - Simple: A screen effect that makes text flash off and on to grab attention.
   - _The early web page applied blink to its headline, so the words kept vanishing and returning._
   - _Many browsers stopped supporting blink because flashing text annoyed users._
18. The dazzling whiteness near the horizon caused by light reflecting off fields of ice at sea.
   - Simple: A bright white glow in the sky above the horizon, caused by light bouncing off sea ice.
   - _The lookout reported a strong blink to the north, a sure sign of ice fields ahead._
   - _Across the cold gray sea, a faint blink marked where the ice began._
19. A gleam, glimmer, or sparkle of light. *(dialectal, UK)*
   - Simple: A small flash or gleam of light.
   - _A blink of light danced across the loch as the sun broke through._
   - _He saw a sudden blink in her eye, a flash of mischief._
22. Boughs laid where deer will pass, used to turn or check them.
   - Simple: Branches placed in a deer's path to turn it or slow it down.
   - _Gamekeepers set blink along the ridge to guide the deer past the waiting guns._
   - _The deer balked at the blink and swung back toward the woods._

## Verb

21. To glance, or give a quick look. *(obsolete, Geordie)*
   - Simple: To take a quick look at something.

## Origin

From Middle English blynken, from an Old English form connected to blenċan ("to deceive"), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną ("to gleam, shine"). It is cognate with Dutch blinken ("to glitter, shine"), German blinken ("to flash, blink"), and the Scandinavian blinke, and related to blank and bleak.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/blink (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).