n.
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form: win · kled ; win · kling \ -k( ə -)li ŋ \
Etymology: 1 winkle; from the process of extracting a winkle from its shell
Date: 1918
1 chiefly British : to displace, remove, or evict from a position ― usually used with out
2 chiefly British : to obtain or draw out by effort ― usually used with out <no attempt to winkle out why they do it ― Joan Bakewell>