Blink v.

Forms: (4 blynke), 6–7 blinke, 7 blynck, 7– blink. [In ME., only as an occasional variant of BLENK, esp. in Robert of Brunne; and perh. in the form blinche (once, in Beket), also in a sense of blench. Otherwise exclusively mod. English (since c. 1575). It coincides in its late appearance, as well as in form and sense, with MDu. and mod.Du. blinken, mod.Ger. blinken, the origin of which is equally obscure. They are conjecturally regarded as nasalized forms of the stem blik- to shine (see BLIKE), but no satisfactory account can be given of their late appearance. In ME., blenke was used regularly where blink now takes its place: see BLENCH, BLENK.]

  I.  To deceive, elude, turn away.

  † 1.  trans. To deceive. Obs. rare. [For ME. BLENCH v.¹ 1, BLENK v. 1.]

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 4169. We Englys men þeron shulde þynke Þat enuye us nat blynke.

  † 2.  intr. To start out of the way, so as to elude anything; = BLENCH v.¹ 2, BLENK 2. Obs. rare.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 7626 (Gött.). Þoru he had his bodi born Ne had he blinked him biforn [v.r. blenked (2), blenched].

  ¶  trans. To avoid, flinch from.

  Cf. blinche c. 1300 in BLENCH v.¹ 3.

  II.  To move the eyelids, twinkle, peep, wink.

  † 3.  intr. To look, look up from sleep, open the eyes. [Only in this author; otherwise BLENK v. 6.]

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 5675. Pers of hys slepe gan blynke, And gretely on hys dreme gan þynke.

  4.  To twinkle with the eye or eye-lids. In various shades of meaning which run into one another: in the earlier, the notion of ‘glancing’ predominates; in the later, that of ‘winking.’

  a.  To glance, cast or let fall a glance, have a peep; to look with glances (and not steadily).

1590.  Shaks., Mids. N., V. i. 178. Sweet and louely vvall, Shew me thy chinke, to blinke through vvith mine eine.

1592.  Jas. VI., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 236, III. 163. Turne your eyes a littell … to blinke upon the necessaire cace of youre Friend.

c. 1650.  Ld. of Learne, 428, in Furniv., Percy Folio, I. 197. Rather … then all the gold that ere I blinket on with mine eye.

1729.  in Ramsay’s Tea-t. Misc., 16. On him she did na gloom, But blinkit bonnilie.

  b.  To look with twinkling eye-lids, as one half-awake or dazzled with light.

1600.  J. Lane, Tom Tel-troth, 132. It blinds the sight, it makes men bleare-eyd blinke.

1806.  Coleridge, Christabel, II. xxii. A snake’s small eye blinks dull and shy.

1850.  Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., ix. 77. Holding the candle aloft, and blinking on our travellers with a dismal and mystified expression.

1861.  Mrs. Norton, Lady La G., IV. 176. The babe … with tender eyes Blinks at the world a little while, and dies.

1863.  Miss Braddon, J. Marchmont, III. i. 2. A brown setter … lay upon the hearth-rug … blinking at the blaze.

  c.  To shut the eyelids momentarily and involuntarily; to wink for an instant.

1858.  M. Porteous, Souter Johnny, 30. Or silly mortal blinks an ee.

1865.  Dickens, Mut. Fr., 269. London was blinking, wheezing and choking.

1876.  Foster, Phys., III. v. (1879), 544. When we stimulate one of our eyelids with a sharp electrical shock, both eyelids blink.

  5.  To cast a sudden or momentary gleam of light; to twinkle as a star; to shine with flickering light, or with a faint peep of light; to shine unsteadily or dimly.

1786.  Burns, Ep. J. Smith, ii. Ev’ry star that blinks aboon.

1807.  Crabbe, Par. Reg., I. 378. Where blinks through paper’d panes the setting sun.

1821.  Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 76. As stars blink out from clouds at night.

1828.  Scott, F. M. Perth, II. v. 164. The very tapers are blinking, as if tired of our conference.

1872.  Black, Adv. Phaeton, xxx. 398. The sun was … blinking on the windows,.

  6.  trans. To shut the eyes to; to evade, shirk, pass by, ignore: orig. a sporting phrase.

1742.  Fielding, J. Andrews, I. xvi. (1815), 39. There’s a bitch … she never blinked a bird in her life.

1811.  Byron, Hints fr. Hor., 555. Dogs blink their coveys.

1823.  De Quincey, Lett. Educ., i. (1860), 20. Children, however, are incidents that will occur in this life, and must not be blinked.

1859.  Geo. Eliot, A. Bede, 114. It was no use blinking the fact.

  b.  With at (improperly).

1857.  Sears, Athan., vi. 43. Why have these passages … been blinked at and ignored?

  7.  trans. To turn (milk, beer, etc.) slightly sour. [The origin of this use has been sought in the glance of an evil eye, the ‘blinking’ of milk being formerly ascribed to witchcraft; also in the effect of lightning, since thunder generally ‘blinks’ milk.]

1616.  Surfl. & Markh., Countr. Farm, 589. Bottle ale … must not only be coold sufficiently, but also blynckt a little to giue it a quick & sharp tast.

1689.  Gazophyl. Anglic., s.v. To blink beer; a word frequently used in Lincolnshire.

1713.  Lond. & Country Brewer, IV. (1743), 263. They are apt to blink or give a little sourish Taste to their Drink.

  b.  intr. To turn slightly sour.

a. 1648.  Digby, Closet Open. (1677), 91. There let the wort … stand till it begin to blink and grow long like thin syrup.

1769.  Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housekpr. (1778), 317. Wine … if you let it stand too long before you get it cold … summer-beams and blinks in the tub.

  ¶ 8.  trans. To cause one to blink; to blindfold. [A pseudo-archaism in Landor.]

1846.  Landor, Exam. Shaks., II. 278. He who blinketh the eyes of the poor wretch about to die doeth it out of mercy.

1853.  Kane, Grinnell Exp., xli. (1856), 376. With the sun … blinking my eyes.

  ¶ 9.  See BLENK v. 6–7.