clink
1 of 3verb
ˈkliŋk 
clinked; clinking; clinks
intransitive verb
: to give out a slight sharp short metallic sound
transitive verb
: to cause to clink
clink
2 of 3noun (1)
: a clinking sound
clink
3 of 3noun (2)
1
slang : a prison cell
2
slang : jail, prison
Synonyms
Verb
- chink
- jingle
- tingle
- tinkle
Noun (2)
- bastille
- big house [slang]
- bridewell
- brig
- calaboose
- can
- cooler
- coop
- guardroom
- hock
- hold
- hoosegow
- jail
- jailhouse
- joint [slang]
- jug
- lockup
- nick [British slang]
- pen
- penitentiary
- pokey [slang]
- prison
- quod [British slang]
- slam
- slammer
- stir [slang]
- stockade
- tolbooth [Scottish]
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb When she'd completed the toast, they clinked glasses. coins clinking in his pocket as he traipsed down the street
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, of imitative origin
Noun (2)
probably from Clink, a prison in Southwark, London, England
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1515, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing clink
Kids Definition
clink 1 of 2
verb
ˈkliŋk
clinked; clinking
: to make or cause to make a slight short sound like that of metal being struck
The refrigerator door opened and bottles rattled and clinked.
Jack Gantos, Joey Pigza Loses Control
Jack Gantos, Joey Pigza Loses Controlclink
2 of 2noun
: a slight sharp ringing sound
clink 1 of 2
noun
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody I once spent a night in the clink, and it's an experience I don't want to repeat Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- jail
- prison
- penitentiary
- brig
- slammer
- hoosegow
- jug
- calaboose
- jailhouse
- lockup
- pokey
- bridewell
- pen
- guardroom
- hock
- bastille
- cooler
- cage
- tolbooth
- stockade
- coop
- stir
- can
- joint
- big house
- slam
- nick
- hold
- cell
- dungeon
- quod
- tank
- bull pen
- ward
- hole
- guardhouse
- keep
- labor camp
- stalag
- work camp
- gulag
- oubliette
- concentration camp
- prison camp
- reformatory
- glasshouse
- block
- hulk(s)
- training school
- reform school
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- outside
clink
2 of 2verb
as in to tinkle
to make a repeated sharp light ringing sound coins clinking in his pocket as he traipsed down the street Synonyms & Similar Words
- tinkle
- jingle
- chink
- ring
- rattle
- clank
- clatter
- chime
- clack
- clang
- tingle
- clangor
- clash
- ping
- gong
- plink
- jangle
- ding
- crash
- ding-dong