blink

B2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /blɪŋk/ See IPA manual

Freq #7424

Meanings

1

verb
To shut and open your eyes quickly.

She blinked several times as she stepped into the bright sunlight.
2

verb
(of a light) To flash on and off.

The light on the router blinks while the device is connecting.
3

verb
To back down or hesitate in a tense situation.

Neither side blinked during the long negotiations.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to shut and open your eyes... winknictate

2 verb · (of a light) to flash on... flash twinkle

More nictitate

Word family

Forms blinkedblinkingblinks

Derived forms blink-and-you-miss-itblinkleeyeblinkinterblinklandblinkmoonblinksnowblinksunblink

Related forms ablinkblink-eyedblinkardblinkerblinkieblinklesswink

Etymology

From Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English *blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”). Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitter, shine”), German blinken (“to flash, blink”), Danish blinke (“to flash, twinkle, wink, blink”), Swedish blinka (“to flash, blink, twinkle, wink, blink”). Related to blank, blick, blike, bleak.

blynken Middle English *blincan Old English *blinkaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

External links

# blink

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /blɪŋk/
**Frequency rank:** 7424

## Meanings
1. To shut and open your eyes quickly.
2. (of a light) To flash on and off.
3. To back down or hesitate in a tense situation.

## Examples
- She blinked several times as she stepped into the bright sunlight.
- The light on the router blinks while the device is connecting.
- Neither side blinked during the long negotiations.

## Synonyms
- nictitate

## Derived Forms
- blink-and-you-miss-it
- blinkle
- eyeblink
- interblink
- landblink
- moonblink
- snowblink
- sunblink

## Related Forms
- ablink
- blink-eyed
- blinkard
- blinker
- blinkie
- blinkless
- wink

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: blynken
- Root: *blincan
- Root: *blinkaną

## Etymology
From Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English *blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”). Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitter, shine”), German blinken (“to flash, blink”), Danish blinke (“to flash, twinkle, wink, blink”), Swedish blinka (“to flash, blink, twinkle, wink, blink”). Related to blank, blick, blike, bleak.

## AI Etymology
Blink comes from Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English *blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”). Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitter, shine”), German blinken (“to flash, blink”), Danish blinke (“to flash, twinkle, wink, blink”), Swedish blinka (“to flash, blink, twinkle, wink, blink”). Related to blank, blick, blike, bleak.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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blink

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