wink
wink [wink winks winked winking] verb, noun BrE [wɪŋk] NAmE [wɪŋk]
verb
1. intransitive ~ (at sb) to close one eye and open it again quickly, especially as a private signal to sb, or to show sth is a joke
•He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was.
compare ↑blink
2. intransitive to shine with an unsteady light; to flash on and off
Syn: ↑blink
•We could see the lights of the ship winking in the distance.
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Old English wincian ‘close the eyes’, of Germanic origin; related to German winken ‘to wave’, also to ↑wince.
Example Bank:
•He winked broadly at Lucinda.
•I saw him wink at her.
•She winked at me, and I winked back.
•She winked knowingly at Jack.
Idioms: ↑not get a wink of sleep ▪ ↑not sleep a wink
Derived: ↑wink at something
noun
an act of winking, especially as a signal to sb
•He gave her a knowing wink.
see also ↑forty winks
more at a nod and a winka nod is as good as a wink at ↑nod n., nudge nudge wink winka nudge and a wink at ↑nudge n., tip sb the wink at ↑tip v.
Word Origin:
Old English wincian ‘close the eyes’, of Germanic origin; related to German winken ‘to wave’, also to ↑wince.
Example Bank:
•He directed a conspiratorial wink at his son.
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