blink: Meaning and Definition of

blink

Pronunciation: (blingk), [key]
— v.i.
  1. to open and close the eye, esp. involuntarily; wink rapidly and repeatedly.
  2. to look with winking or half-shut eyes: I blinked at the harsh morning light.
  3. to be startled, surprised, or dismayed (usually fol. by at): She blinked at his sudden fury.
  4. to look evasively or with indifference; ignore (often fol. by at): to blink at another's eccentricities.
  5. to shine unsteadily, dimly, or intermittently; twinkle: The light on the buoy blinked in the distance.
—v.t.
  1. to open and close (the eye or eyes), usually rapidly and repeatedly; wink: She blinked her eyes in an effort to wake up.
  2. to cause (something) to blink: We blinked the flashlight frantically, but there was no response.
  3. to ignore deliberately; evade; shirk.
—n.
  1. an act of blinking: The faithful blink of the lighthouse.
  2. a gleam; glimmer: There was not a blink of light anywhere.
  3. a glance or glimpse.
    1. iceblink.
    2. snowblink.
  4. not in proper working order; in need of repair: The washing machine is on the blink again.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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