verb
blink
blihngk
verb
1
To close and open the eyes quickly.
"She blinked in the bright sunlight."
"He blinked back tears during the speech."
2
To flash on and off, especially at regular intervals.
"The cursor blinked steadily on the dark screen."
"A warning light blinked on the dashboard."
3
To back down or show hesitation in a standoff, as in the phrase "blink first."
"Neither side wanted to blink first in the negotiations."
noun
1
The act of quickly closing and opening the eyes, or a very brief moment.
"In the blink of an eye, the deal was gone."
How to Use Blink
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA quick close-and-open of the eyes, or anything flashing on and off; figuratively, backing down first in a standoff.
Common pairings
blink an eye
blink back tears
blink first
in the blink of an eye
Word Forms
blinked past tense, blinks plural, Blinks plural, blinks singular
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Etymology
From Old English roots related to *blincan, ultimately tied to a Proto-Germanic word meaning "to shine, gleam" — the same family as the word blank.