blinks

blink

B0325400 (blĭngk)v. blinked, blink·ing, blinks v.intr.1. To close and open one or both of the eyes rapidly.2. To look in astonishment or disbelief, typically with the eyes blinking: stood blinking at the money they found in the drawer; blinked at the results of the experiment.3. To look through half-closed eyes, as in a bright glare; squint: blinked at the page trying to make out the letters.4. To give off light with intermittent gleams; flash on and off: "blazing neon signs, brilliant shop windows, decorations blinking across the fronts of half-finished tower blocks" (Jess Row).5. To pretend to be ignorant of; disregard or condone: a mayor who refused to blink at corruption.6. 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).v.tr.1. To cause to blink: blinked his eyes to clear his vision.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.Idioms: in the blink of an eye Very quickly. on the blink Out of working order. without blinking an eye Without showing any reaction.

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[Probably Middle English blinken, to move suddenly, variant of blenchen; see blench¹.]

blinks

(blɪŋks) n (Plants) (functioning as singular) a small temperate portulacaceous plant, Montia fontana with small white flowers[C19: from blink, because the flowers do not fully open and thus seem to blink at the light]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

blinks - small Indian lettuce of northern regionsblinking chickweed, Montia lamprosperma, water chickweedIndian lettuce - a plant of the genus Montia having edible pleasant-tasting leaves