noun

winkle

WIHNG-kuhl

Winkle (noun) means a periwinkle, a small edible sea snail with a spiral shell. Example: “They bought a bag of winkles from the seafood stall and ate them with a pin.”

noun

A periwinkle, a small edible sea snail with a spiral shell.

"They bought a bag of winkles from the seafood stall and ate them with a pin."

Any of several other spiral-shelled marine snails resembling the periwinkle.

"The tide pool was full of small winkles clinging to the rocks."

verb

To winkle out: to get information, an object, or a person out of somewhere with effort or cunning.

"It took hours to winkle the truth out of him."

"She managed to winkle a confession out of the suspect."

How to use winkle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA small edible sea snail, or (as a verb with "out") to painstakingly extract something.

Common pairings

winkle out a bag of winkles

Word forms

winkled past tense, winkles plural, Winkles plural, winkles singular

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They bought a bag of _____ from the seafood stall and ate them with a pin.

Etymology

Shortened from "periwinkle," the name of the small edible sea snail.

Synonyms

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flash blink wink twinkle periwinkle winkle out scintillate

Related words

ray flash vagina glimpse blink dart wink glitter

Rhymes for winkle

tinkle Hinkle wrinkle twinkle sprinkle periwinkle

See all rhymes for winkle →

Frequently asked questions

What does “winkle” mean?

The word “winkle” means a periwinkle, a small edible sea snail with a spiral shell. In plain terms, a small edible sea snail, or (as a verb with "out") to painstakingly extract something.

How do you pronounce “winkle”?

“Winkle” is pronounced WIHNG-kuhl (/ˈwɪŋkəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “winkle” in a sentence?

Here is “winkle” used in a sentence: “They bought a bag of winkles from the seafood stall and ate them with a pin.”

What part of speech is “winkle”?

Depending on how it is used, “winkle” can be a noun and a verb.

How many meanings does “winkle” have?

“Winkle” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a periwinkle, a small edible sea snail with a spiral shell.

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