I. wink 1 /wɪŋk/ BrE AmE verb
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: wincian ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to close and open one eye quickly to communicate something or show that something is a secret or joke
wink at
He winked mischievously at Erica.
He winked an eye at his companion.
2 . [intransitive] to shine with a light that flashes on and off SYN blink :
a Christmas tree with lights winking on and off
wink at something phrasal verb
to pretend not to notice something bad or illegal, in a way that suggests you approve of it
II. wink 2 BrE AmE noun
1 . [countable] a quick action of opening and closing one eye, usually as a signal to someone else:
He gave her a wink.
‘You look tired,’ he said with a knowing wink.
2 . not get a wink of sleep/not sleep a wink not be able to sleep at all:
I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night.
⇨ ↑ forty winks , ⇨ a nod’s as good as a wink at ↑ nod 2 (4), ⇨ tip somebody the wink at ↑ tip 2 (11)