*winkle*

n. [ From AS. pinewincla a shellfish, in which pine- is fr. L. pina, pinna, a kind of mussel, akin to Gr. &unr_;. Cf. Winkle. ] (Zool.) Any small marine gastropod shell of the genus Littorina. The common European species (Littorina littorea), in Europe extensively used as food, has recently become naturalized abundantly on the American coast. See Littorina. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In America the name is often applied to several large univalves, as Fulgur carica, and Fulgur canaliculata. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. pervenke, AS. pervince, fr. L. pervinca. ] (Bot.) A trailing herb of the genus Vinca. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common perwinkle (Vinca minor) has opposite evergreen leaves and solitary blue or white flowers in their axils. In America it is often miscalled myrtle. See under Myrtle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. An instrument of torture, consisting of a board with holes into which the fingers were pressed, and fastened with pegs. [ Written also pilliewinkles. ] [ Scot. ] Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Twinkled p. pr. & vb. n. Twinkling ] [ OE. twinklen, AS. twinclian; akin to OE. twinken to blink, wink, G. zwinken, zwinkern, and perhaps to E. twitch. ] 1. To open and shut the eye rapidly; to blink; to wink. [ 1913 Webster ]

The owl fell a moping and twinkling. L' Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

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2. To shine with an intermitted or a broken, quavering light; to flash at intervals; to sparkle; to scintillate. [ 1913 Webster ]

These stars do not twinkle when viewed through telescopes that have large apertures. Sir I. Newton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The western sky twinkled with stars. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A closing or opening, or a quick motion, of the eye; a wink or sparkle of the eye. [ 1913 Webster ]

Suddenly, with twinkle of her eye,
The damsel broke his misintended dart. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A brief flash or gleam, esp. when rapidly repeated. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The time of a wink; a twinkling. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, twinkles, or winks; a winker; an eye. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. wincle. ] (Zool.) (a) Any periwinkle. Holland. (b) Any one of various marine spiral gastropods, esp., in the United States, either of two species of Fulgar (Fulgar canaliculata, and Fulgar carica). [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ These are large mollusks which often destroy large numbers of oysters by drilling their shells and sucking their blood. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sting winkle, a European spinose marine shell (Murex erinaceus). See Illust. of Murex. [ 1913 Webster ]