twinkle

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twin·kle

(twĭng′kəl)

v. twin·kled, twin·kling, twin·kles

v.intr.

1. To shine with slight, intermittent gleams, as distant lights or stars; flicker; glimmer. See Synonyms at flash.

2. To be bright or sparkling, as with merriment or delight: eyes that twinkled with joy.

3. To blink or wink the eyes.

4. To move about or to and fro rapidly and gracefully; flit.

v.tr.

To emit (light) in slight, intermittent gleams.

1. A slight, intermittent gleam of light; a sparkling flash; a glimmer.

2. A sparkle of merriment or delight in the eye.

3. A brief interval; a twinkling.

4. A rapid to-and-fro movement.

[Middle English twinklen, from Old English twinclian, frequentative of twincan, to blink.]

twin′kler n.

twink′ly adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

twinkle

(ˈtwɪŋkəl)

vb (mainly intr)

1. to emit or reflect light in a flickering manner; shine brightly and intermittently; sparkle: twinkling stars.

2. (of the eyes) to sparkle, esp with amusement or delight

3. rare to move about quickly

4. (also tr) rare to wink (the eyes); blink

5. an intermittent gleam of light; flickering brightness; sparkle or glimmer

6. an instant

7. a rare word for wink¹

[Old English twinclian; related to Middle High German zwinken to blink]

ˈtwinkler n

ˈtwinkly adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

twin•kle

(ˈtwɪŋ kəl)

v. -kled, -kling,
n. v.i.

1. to shine with a flickering gleam of light, as a star or distant light.

2. to sparkle in the light.

3. (of the eyes) to be bright with amusement, pleasure, etc.

4. to move flutteringly and quickly, as flashes of light.

5. Archaic. to wink; blink.

v.t.

6. to emit (light) in intermittent gleams or flashes.

7. Archaic. to wink (the eyes).

8. a flickering or intermittent brightness or light.

9. a scintillating brightness in the eyes; sparkle.

10. the time required for a wink; twinkling.

11. Archaic. a wink.

[before 900; Middle English; Old English twinclian; akin to Middle English twinken to wink]

twin′kler, n.

twinkle

Past participle: twinkled
Gerund: twinkling

Imperative
twinkle
twinkle

Present
I twinkle
you twinkle
he/she/it twinkles
we twinkle
you twinkle
they twinkle

Preterite
I twinkled
you twinkled
he/she/it twinkled
we twinkled
you twinkled
they twinkled

Present Continuous
I am twinkling
you are twinkling
he/she/it is twinkling
we are twinkling
you are twinkling
they are twinkling

Present Perfect
I have twinkled
you have twinkled
he/she/it has twinkled
we have twinkled
you have twinkled
they have twinkled

Past Continuous
I was twinkling
you were twinkling
he/she/it was twinkling
we were twinkling
you were twinkling
they were twinkling

Past Perfect
I had twinkled
you had twinkled
he/she/it had twinkled
we had twinkled
you had twinkled
they had twinkled

Future
I will twinkle
you will twinkle
he/she/it will twinkle
we will twinkle
you will twinkle
they will twinkle

Future Perfect
I will have twinkled
you will have twinkled
he/she/it will have twinkled
we will have twinkled
you will have twinkled
they will have twinkled

Future Continuous
I will be twinkling
you will be twinkling
he/she/it will be twinkling
we will be twinkling
you will be twinkling
they will be twinkling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been twinkling
you have been twinkling
he/she/it has been twinkling
we have been twinkling
you have been twinkling
they have been twinkling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been twinkling
you will have been twinkling
he/she/it will have been twinkling
we will have been twinkling
you will have been twinkling
they will have been twinkling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been twinkling
you had been twinkling
he/she/it had been twinkling
we had been twinkling
you had been twinkling
they had been twinkling

Conditional
I would twinkle
you would twinkle
he/she/it would twinkle
we would twinkle
you would twinkle
they would twinkle

Past Conditional
I would have twinkled
you would have twinkled
he/she/it would have twinkled
we would have twinkled
you would have twinkled
they would have twinkled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	twinkle - a rapid change in brightness; a brief spark or flash sparkling, scintillation alteration, change, modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago"
	2.	twinkle - merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance; "he had a sparkle in his eye"; "there's a perpetual twinkle in his eyes" sparkle, spark, light verve, vitality - an energetic style expression, look, face, facial expression, aspect - the feelings expressed on a person's face; "a sad expression"; "a look of triumph"; "an angry face"
Verb	1.	twinkle - gleam or glow intermittently; "The lights were flashing" flash, wink, winkle, blink flick, flicker - flash intermittently; "The lights flicked on and off" radiate - cause to be seen by emitting light as if in rays; "The sun is radiating"
	2.	twinkle - emit or reflect light in a flickering manner; "Does a constellation twinkle more brightly than a single star?" winkle, scintillate celestial body, heavenly body - natural objects visible in the sky beam, shine - emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light; "The sun shone bright that day"; "The fire beamed on their faces" scintillate - give off; "the substance scintillated sparks and flashes"

twinkle

verb

1. sparkle, flash, shine, glitter, gleam, blink, flicker, wink, shimmer, glint, glisten, scintillate, coruscate At night, lights twinkle in distant villages across the valleys.

noun

1. sparkle, light, flash, spark, shine, glittering, gleam, blink, flicker, wink, shimmer, glimmer, glistening, scintillation, coruscation a kindly twinkle came into his eyes

2. moment, second, shake (informal), flash, instant, tick (Brit. informal), twinkling, split second, jiffy (informal), trice, two shakes of a lamb's tail (informal) Hours can pass in a twinkle.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

twinkle

verb

1. To shine with intermittent gleams:

2. To emit light suddenly in rays or sparks:

coruscate, flash, glance, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glister, glitter, scintillate, shimmer, spangle, sparkle, wink.

3. To open and close the eyes rapidly:

noun

2. A very brief time:

Chiefly British: tick.

Translations

إشْعاع بالفَرَحتلألُؤيتلألأ، يُشِعُّ فَرِحايومِض، يَتَلألأ

blikatjiskřitmihotánízajiskření

blinketindretindren

לנצנץ

felcsillan

blikblikablika, glitra

bliksėjimasbliksėtiugnelėžibsėjimasžiburiuoti

dzirkstsmirgošanamirgotspīdētuguntiņa

ligotaťmihanie

svetlikati se

ışıldamaışıldamakışıltıparıldamaparıldamak

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

twinkle

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

twinkle

(ˈtwiŋkl) verb

1. to shine with a small, slightly unsteady light. The stars twinkled in the sky.

2. (of eyes) to shine in this way usually to express amusement. His eyes twinkled mischievously.

noun

1. an expression of amusement (in one's eyes).

2. the act of twinkling.

twinkle

n. guiñada, pestañeo;

v. guiñar un ojo; pestañear, parpadear;

in a ___ → en un momento, en un instante.