blink

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To shut and open your eyes quickly.

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

2. 2
   verb

   (of a light) To flash on and off.

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

3. 3
   verb

   To back down or hesitate in a tense situation.

   Neither side blinked during the long negotiations.

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.

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