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