twinkle
/ˈtwɪŋ.kəl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.17 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To shine with a flickering light; to glimmer.
verb
To flit to and fro.
noun
A sparkle of delight in the eyes.
Example Sentences
- "We could see the lights of the village twinkling in the distance."
- "These stars do not twinkle when viewed through telescopes that have large apertures."
- "The western sky twinkled with stars."
- "As the train rumbled slowly over the Forth Bridge, the western sky was aflame with a particularly gorgeous sunset, and lights were twinkling from the small craft riding at anchor on the calm waters of the firth."
- "His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly."
- "She smiled and gave a little nod and twinkled her eyes[…]"
Etymology
From Middle English twinclen, twynclen, from Old English twinclian (“to twinkle”), equivalent to twink (“to wink; blink; twinkle”) + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare German zwinkern (“to wink; twinkle”).