blink

/blɪŋk/

/blɪŋk/

Other forms: blinking; blinked; blinks

To blink is to briefly close your eyes. The bright sunlight first thing in the morning might make you blink rapidly, until your eyes adjust.

Your eyes blink reflexively, when you're not even thinking about it, but you can also deliberately blink back tears. Certain lights blink as well, like your car's turn signal, flashing on and off. A figurative way to blink is to hesitate or give up, especially at a confrontation: "The lawyers kept holding out for a settlement, waiting for the other side to blink first." The origin of blink is probably the Middle Dutch blinken, "to glitter."

Definitions of blink

1. noun

   a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly
   synonyms: blinking, eye blink, nictation, nictitation, wink, winking

   types:

   palpebration

   repeated blinking or winking (especially if uncontrolled and persistent)

   type of:

   inborn reflex, innate reflex, instinctive reflex, physiological reaction, reflex, reflex action, reflex response, unconditioned reflex

   an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus
2. verb

   briefly shut the eyes
   “The TV announcer never seems to blink”

   synonyms: nictate, nictitate, wink

   types:

   palpebrate

   wink or blink, especially repeatedly

   bat, flutter

   wink briefly

   type of:

   act involuntarily, act reflexively

   act in an uncontrolled manner
3. verb

   force to go away by blinking
   “blink away tears”

   synonyms: blink away, wink

   type of:

   conquer, curb, inhibit, stamp down, subdue, suppress

   to put down by force or authority
4. verb

   gleam or glow intermittently
   synonyms: flash, twinkle, wink, winkle

   types:

   flick, flicker

   flash intermittently

   type of:

   radiate

   cause to be seen by emitting light as if in rays