twinkle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   emit or reflect light in a flickering manner

   Does a constellation twinkle more brightly than a single star?

2. 2
   verb

   To shine with a flickering light; to glimmer.

   We could see the lights of the village twinkling in the distance.

3. 3
   verb

   To be bright with delight.

   His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly.

4. 4
   verb

   To bat, blink or wink the eyes.

   She smiled and gave a little nod and twinkled her eyes[…]

5. 5
   verb

   To flit to and fro.

   A butterfly twinkled among the vines[…]

6. 6
   noun

   A sparkle or glimmer of light.

   Soon the rocket was out of sight, and the flame was only seen as a tiny twinkle of light.

7. 7
   noun

   A sparkle of delight in the eyes.

   He was a rotund, jolly man with a twinkle in his eye.

8. 8
   noun

   A flitting movement.

   I saw the twinkle of white feet,

Etymology

From Middle English twinclen, twynclen, from Old English twinclian (“to twinkle”), equivalent to twink (“to wink; blink; twinkle”) + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare German zwinkern (“to wink; twinkle”).