winking

Pluralwinkings

1. 1
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The act of briefly closing and reopening one eye, usually done on purpose as a gesture.

   A friendly winking from the bartender suggested the next drink was free.

   His exaggerated winking during the toast set off a round of laughter.

   Note

   Unlike the gerund, this noun can be counted and made plural, and the plural tends to suggest repeated, knowing glances. The Harvard Register of 1828 pairs winkings and squintings as the private signals that gossips claim to catch between an innocent couple. That pairing shows the gesture's usual shade of conspiracy: a winking implies a shared secret, not just a closed eye.

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of wink.

   The actor was winking at the audience to signal that he was joking.

   Winking is sometimes read as a sign of flirtation.

   Note

   The -ing form carries every meaning of wink, not only the one-eyed signal. Followed by at, it can mean looking the other way: an official winking at small thefts is tolerating them, not flirting. Lights and stars can be winking too, gleaming on and off. When the form names the act itself, it shades into the noun for the gesture, which alone takes a plural, winkings.

   The landlord kept winking at the noise complaints until the neighbors sued.

   Harbor lights were winking across the dark bay.

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