/ pɪŋk; NAmE / adjective , noun , verb
■ adjective
1.
pale red in colour :
pale pink roses
She went bright pink with embarrassment.
2.
[ only before noun ] ( BrE ) connected with homosexual people :
the pink pound (= money spent by homosexuals as an influence in the economy)
3.
( politics ) ( informal , disapproving ) having or showing slightly left-wing political views
—compare red adjective
► pink·ness noun [ U ]
•
IDIOMS
see tickle verb
■ noun
1.
[ U , C ] the colour that is produced when you mix red and white together :
She was dressed in pink.
The bedroom was decorated in pale pinks.
2.
[ C ] a garden plant with pink, red or white flowers that have a sweet smell
•
IDIOMS
- in the pink
■ verb
( BrE ) ( NAmE ping ) [ v ] ( of a car engine ) to make knocking sounds because the fuel is not burning correctly
••
WORD ORIGIN
adjective and noun sense 1 mid 17th cent.: from pink (the plant), the early use of the adjective being to describe the colour of the flowers of this plant.
noun sense 2 late 16th cent.: perhaps short for pink eye , literally small or half-shut eye ; compare with the synonymous French word oeillet , literally little eye.
verb early 20th cent.: imitative.