verb
twinkle
TWIHNG-kuhl
verb
1
To shine with a flickering, sparkling light.
"The stars twinkled brightly over the desert."
"Christmas lights twinkled along the street."
noun
1
A flicker or sparkle of light, or of delight in someone's eyes.
"There was a twinkle in his eye as he told the joke."
How to Use Twinkle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo sparkle with flickering light, or a look of amusement in someone's eyes.
Common pairings
twinkle in his eye
stars twinkle
twinkling lights
Word Forms
twinkled past tense, twinkles plural, twinkles singular
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Etymology
From Old English twinclian ("to twinkle"), built from an older word for winking or blinking plus a suffix suggesting repeated small movements.