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blink
(redirected from blink back)

   Also found in: Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.04 sec.
blink  (blngk)
v. blinked, blink·ing, blinks
v.intr.
1. To close and open one or both of the eyes rapidly.
2. To look through half-closed eyes, as in a bright glare; squint.
3. To shine with intermittent gleams; flash on and off.
4.
a. To be startled or dismayed.
b. To waver or back down, as in a contest of wills: "This was the first genuine, direct confrontation between this administration and the Soviets. It was the U.S.A. that blinked" (Zbigniew Brzezinski).
5. To look with feigned ignorance: a mayor who blinks at the corruption in city government.
v.tr.
1. To cause to blink.
2. To hold back or remove from the eyes by blinking: blinked back the tears.
3. To refuse to recognize or face: blink ugly facts.
4. To transmit (a message) with a flashing light.
n.
1. The act or an instance of rapidly closing and opening the eyes or an eye.
2. An instant: I'll be back in a blink.
3. Scots A quick look or glimpse; a glance.
4. A flash of light; a twinkle.
5. See iceblink.
Idiom:
on the blink
Out of working order.

[Probably Middle English blinken, to move suddenly, variant of blenchen; see blench1.]
Synonyms: blink, nictitate, twinkle, wink
These verbs mean to open and close the eyelids or an eyelid rapidly: a dog blinking lazily at the fire; reptiles nictitating; twinkled, then laughed and responded; winked conspiratorially at his friend.

blink [blɪŋk]
vb
1. to close and immediately reopen (the eyes or an eye), usually involuntarily
2. (intr) to look with the eyes partially closed, as in strong sunlight
3. to shine intermittently, as in signalling, or unsteadily
4. (tr; foll by away, from, etc) to clear the eyes of (dust, tears, etc.)
5. (when tr, usually foll by at) to be surprised or amazed he blinked at the splendour of the ceremony
6. (when intr, foll by at) to pretend not to know or see (a fault, injustice, etc.)
n
1. the act or an instance of blinking
2. a glance; glimpse
3. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) short for iceblink [1]
on the blink Slang not working properly
[variant of blench1; related to Middle Dutch blinken to glitter, Danish blinke to wink, Swedish blinka]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.blinkblink - a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly
palpebration - repeated blinking or winking (especially if uncontrolled and persistent)
Verb1.blink - briefly shut the eyes; "The TV announcer never seems to blink"
palpebrate - wink or blink, especially repeatedly
bat, flutter - wink briefly; "bat one's eyelids"
act involuntarily, act reflexively - act in an uncontrolled manner
2.blink - force to go away by blinking; "blink away tears"
conquer, inhibit, stamp down, suppress, subdue, curb - to put down by force or authority; "suppress a nascent uprising"; "stamp down on littering"; "conquer one's desires"
3.blinkblink - gleam or glow intermittently; "The lights were flashing"
flick, flicker - flash intermittently; "The lights flicked on and off"
radiate - cause to be seen by emitting light as if in rays; "The sun is radiating"

blink
verb
1. flutter, wink, bat She was blinking her eyes rapidly.
2. flash, flicker, sparkle, wink, shimmer, twinkle, glimmer, scintillate Green and yellow lights blinked on the surface of the harbour.
on the blink (Slang) not working (properly), faulty, defective, playing up, out of action, malfunctioning, out of order, on the fritz (U.S. slang) an old TV that's on the blink
the blink of an eye an instant, a second, a minute, no time, a flash, a moment, a split second, a tick (Brit. informal), a twinkling, a trice, a jiffy (informal), two shakes (informal), a shake (informal), two shakes of a lamb's tail (informal), the bat of an eye (informal) It was all over in the blink of an eye.
Translations
blink [blɪŋk]
A. N [of eyes] → parpadeo m; (= gleam) → destello m
in the blink of an eyeen un abrir y cerrar de ojos
to be on the blink (TV etc) → estar averiado
B. VT [+ eyes] → cerrar
C. VI [eyes] → parpadear, pestañear; [light] → parpadear
blink at VI + PREP (= ignore) → pasar por alto

blink [ˈblɪŋk]
vi
[person] → cligner des yeux; [eye] → cligner
without blinking → sans sourciller
to blink at sb → regarder qn en clignant des yeux
[light] → clignoter
vt
to blink one's eyes → cligner des yeux
n
[eye] → clignement m de paupières, battement m de paupières
in the blink of an eye (= quickly) → en un clin d'œil
to be on the blink [machine] → être détraqué(e)
The TV's on the blink → La télé est détraquée.

blink
nBlinzeln nt; in the blink of an eyeim Nu; to be on the blink (inf)kaputt sein (inf)
vi
(person)blinzeln, zwinkern
(light)blinken
vt to blink one’s eyesmit den Augen zwinkern

blink [blɪŋk]
1. nbattito di ciglia
to be on the blink (fam) (car, machine) → essere scassato/a
2. vt to blink one's eyessbattere le palpebre
3. visbattere le palpebre; (light) → lampeggiare

blink [blɪŋk]
1. nbattito di ciglia
to be on the blink (fam) (car, machine) → essere scassato/a
2. vt to blink one's eyessbattere le palpebre
3. visbattere le palpebre; (light) → lampeggiare

blink
v blink [bliŋk]
to move (the eyelids) rapidly up and down It is impossible to stare for a long time without blinking. knip يَرْمُشُ، يَطْرف العَيْن мигам mrkat blinke blinzeln ανοιγοκλείνω τα βλέφαρα parpadear, pestañear pilgutama پلک زدن räpäyttää silmiä cligner des yeux לְמַצמֵץ आंखें झपकाना žmirkati pislog mengejapkan mata depla, blikka battere le palpebre まばたきする 눈을 깜박이다 mirksėti mirkšķināt kelip mata knipperen blinke, blunke mrugać piscar a clipi моргать žmurknúť mežikati trepnuti blinka กะพริบตา gözlerini kırpmak, kırpıştırmak 眨眼 моргати آنکھ جھپکنا chớp mắt
n
a rapid movement of the eyelids. knip طَرْفَةُ عَيْن، رَمْشَةٌ мигане mrkání blinken das Blinzeln παίξιμο των ματιών parpadeo, pestañeo pilgutus چشمک silmänräpäys clignotement (des yeux) מִצמוּץ टिमटिमाहट, झपक žmirenje pislogás kejapan mata depl battito di ciglia まばたき 깜박임 mirksėjimas mirkšķināšana berkedip-kedip knipoog blinking, blunk mruganie piscadela clipit моргание žmurkanie mežikanje treptaj blink[] การกะพริบตา göz kırpma, gözlerini kırpıştırma 眨眼 моргання, кліпання آنکھ کا جھپکنا cái chớp mắt 眨眼

blink يُومِض mrknout blinke blinzeln βλεφαρίζω parpadear räpäyttää cligner trepnuti battere le palpebre まばたきする 눈을 깜박이다 knipperen blunke mrugnąć piscar мигать blinka กระพริบตา gözlerini kırpmak chớp mắt 眨眼


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She has taught herself to blink back the tears and smile, and the pleasure the kids get from having a Dora story read to them is boundless.
But in the end, Maddie is only able to blink back tears.
The sight of yellow ribbons tied around every tree lining Route 117 made me blink back tears as I drove to the service: frail bands of hope and love.
 
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