blink
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blink
(blĭngk)v. blinked, blink·ing, blinks
v.intr.
1. To close and open one or both of the eyes rapidly.
2. To look in astonishment or disbelief, typically with the eyes blinking: stood blinking at the money they found in the drawer; blinked at the results of the experiment.
3. To look through half-closed eyes, as in a bright glare; squint: blinked at the page trying to make out the letters.
4. To give off light with intermittent gleams; flash on and off: "blazing neon signs, brilliant shop windows, decorations blinking across the fronts of half-finished tower blocks" (Jess Row).
5. To pretend to be ignorant of; disregard or condone: a mayor who refused to blink at corruption.
6. To waver or back down, as in a contest of wills: "This was the first genuine, direct confrontation between this administration and the Soviets. It was the U.S.A. that blinked" (Zbigniew Brzezinski).
v.tr.
1. To cause to blink: blinked his eyes to clear his vision.
2. To hold back or remove from the eyes by blinking: blinked back the tears.
3. To refuse to recognize or face: blink ugly facts.
4. To transmit (a message) with a flashing light.
n.
Idioms: 1. The act or an instance of rapidly closing and opening the eyes or an eye.
2. An instant: I'll be back in a blink.
3. Scots A quick look or glimpse; a glance.
4. A flash of light; a twinkle.
5. See iceblink.
in the blink of an eye
Very quickly.
on the blink
Out of working order.
without blinking an eye
Without showing any reaction.
[Probably Middle English blinken, to move suddenly, variant of blenchen; see blench1.]
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.
blink
(blɪŋk)vb
1. to close and immediately reopen (the eyes or an eye), usually involuntarily
2. (intr) to look with the eyes partially closed, as in strong sunlight
3. to shine intermittently, as in signalling, or unsteadily
4. (tr; foll by away, from, etc) to clear the eyes of (dust, tears, etc)
5. (when: tr, usually foll by at) to be surprised or amazed: he blinked at the splendour of the ceremony.
6. (when: intr, foll by at) to pretend not to know or see (a fault, injustice, etc)
n
7. the act or an instance of blinking
8. a glance; glimpse
9. (Physical Geography) short for iceblink1
10. on the blink slang not working properly
[C14: variant of blench1; related to Middle Dutch blinken to glitter, Danish blinke to wink, Swedish blinka]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
blink
(blɪŋk)v.i.
1. to open and close the eye, esp. involuntarily.
2. to be startled or dismayed (usu. fol. by at): She blinked at his outburst.
3. to look evasively or with indifference; ignore (often fol. by at): to blink at another's eccentricities.
4. to shine unsteadily, dimly, or intermittently; twinkle.
5. Informal. to retreat from a challenge; yield.
v.t. 6. to open and close (the eye or eyes), usu. rapidly and repeatedly; wink.
7. to cause (something) to blink.
8. to ignore deliberately; disregard; evade.
n. 9. an act of blinking; flicker; flutter.
10. a gleam; glimmer.
Idioms: on the blink, not working properly; in need of repair.
[1250–1300; Middle English, variant of blenken to blench1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
blink
Past participle: blinked
Gerund: blinking
| Imperative |
|---|
| blink |
| blink |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  blink - a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidlyinborn reflex, innate reflex, instinctive reflex, physiological reaction, reflex, reflex action, reflex response, unconditioned reflex - an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus palpebration - repeated blinking or winking (especially if uncontrolled and persistent) |
| Verb | 1. |  blink - briefly shut the eyes; "The TV announcer never seems to blink"palpebrate - wink or blink, especially repeatedly act involuntarily, act reflexively - act in an uncontrolled manner |
| 2. |  blink - force to go away by blinking; "blink away tears" | |
| 3. |  blink - gleam or glow intermittently; "The lights were flashing"radiate - cause to be seen by emitting light as if in rays; "The sun is radiating" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
blink
verb
on the blink (Slang) not working (properly), faulty, defective, playing up, out of action, malfunctioning, out of order, on the fritz (U.S. slang) an old TV that's on the blink
the blink of an eye an instant, a second, a minute, no time, a flash, a moment, a split second, a tick (Brit. informal), a twinkling, a trice, a jiffy (informal), two shakes (informal), a shake (informal), two shakes of a lamb's tail (informal), the bat of an eye (informal) It was all over in the blink of an eye.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
blink
verb3. To pretend not to see.Also used with at:
1. A brief closing of the eyes:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
طَرْفَةُ عَيْن، رَمْشَةٌيَرْمُشُ، يَطْرف العَيْنيُوْمِضُ
mrknoutmrknutímrkánímrkat
blinkeblinken
räpäyttää
trepnuti
depldepla, blikka
まばたきする
눈을 깜박이다
mirksėjimasmirksėti
mirkšķināšanamirkšķināt
žmurkaniežmurknúť
mežikati
blinkakisa
กะพริบตา
gözlerini kırpmakkırpıştırmakgöz kırpmagözlerini kırpıştırma
nháy mắt
blink
[blɪŋk]A. N [of eyes] → parpadeo m; (= gleam) → destello m
in the blink of an eye → en un abrir y cerrar de ojos
to be on the blink (TV etc) → estar averiado
in the blink of an eye → en un abrir y cerrar de ojos
to be on the blink (TV etc) → estar averiado
B. VT [+ eyes] → cerrar
blink at VI + PREP (= ignore) → pasar por alto
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
blink
[ˈblɪŋk] vi
[person] → cligner des yeux; [eye] → cligner
without blinking → sans sourciller
to blink at sb → regarder qn en clignant des yeux
without blinking → sans sourciller
to blink at sb → regarder qn en clignant des yeux
[light] → clignoter
vt
to blink one's eyes → cligner des yeux
to blink one's eyes → cligner des yeux
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
blink
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
blink
(bliŋk) verb to move (the eyelids) rapidly up and down. It is impossible to stare for a long time without blinking.
noun a rapid movement of the eyelids.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
blink
→ يُوْمِضُ mrknout blinke blinzeln βλεφαρίζω parpadear räpäyttää cligner trepnuti battere le palpebre まばたきする 눈을 깜박이다 knipperen blunke mrugnąć piscar мигать blinka กะพริบตา gözlerini kırpmak nháy mắt 眨眼Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
blink
v. parpadear, pestañear; movimiento involuntario rápido de los ojos.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
blink
n parpadeo; vi parpadearEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.