WINKLE


Meaning of WINKLE in English

I. ˈwiŋkəl noun

( -s )

Etymology: short for periwinkle

1. : periwinkle II

2. : any of various whelks especially of the genus Busycon that destroy large numbers of oysters and clams by drilling their shells and rasping away their flesh

II. transitive verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

: to displace, extract, or evict from a position — usually used with out

failed to winkle out those two or three machine guns which were firing through some concealed opening — Peter Rainier

the first year of nursing training winkles out most of the unsuitable subjects — Cormac Swan

III. intransitive verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: wink (I) + -le

: twinkle

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.