Forms: see TWINKLE v.1 [f. TWINKLE v.1]
1. A winking of the eye; a wink, blink; also, a momentary glance (in quot. 1593, of the mind); cf. BLINK sb.2 2. ? Obs.
1548. Thomas, Ital. Gram. (1567), Cennare, a nodde or twyncle with the eye.
1593. Q. Eliz., trans. Boethius, V. pr. iv. 112. Vnderstanding … orderly by one twynkell of the mynde, all ouerlookith.
1594. Spenser, Amoretti, xvi. One of those archers … Ayming his arrow … suddenly, with twincle of her eye, The Damzell broke his misintended dart.
1660. trans. Amyraldus’ Treat. conc. Relig., II. i. 143. I do not conceive an honest man can consent so much as with one twinkle of his eye to such abominations.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 22, ¶ 1. Her true Lover,… his Heart … waiting for a second Twincle of her Eye.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xiv. An occasional convulsive sigh, or twinkle of the eyelid.
b. transf. A slight tremulous movement; a twitch, a flicker, a quiver.
1733. Cheyne, Eng. Malady, II. xiii. § 1 (1734), 246. Now and then an uncertain Twitch or Twinkle in the Pulse.
1862. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XI. ix. (1872), IV. 106. The slightest twinkle of Fleury’s eyelashes would be duly speeded to Voltaire.
2. The time it takes to wink; TWINKLING vbl. sb.1 3; now only in phrase in a twinkle, in the twinkle of an eye.
1592. Marlowe, Jew of Malta, IV. iv. Vanish, and return in a twinkle.
1644. Digby, Nat. Soul, X. § 8. 429. That twinkle or moment, in which she becometh an … inhabitant of the next world.
1679. Dryden, Troilus & Cr., III. ii. Hast not slept to night? wou’d a not (a naughty Man) let it sleep one twinkle?
1681. Otway, Soldier’s Fort., IV. i. I’ll … be with you in a Twinkle.
1903. Pilot, 17 Oct., 373/1. The reduction of the military service to two years … ought to be done in a twinkle.
1905. Elin. Glyn, Viciss. Evangeline, 171. In the twinkle of an eye we were rolling in the electric to Willis’s.
3. An intermittent or transient shining; a sparkle, a scintillation; also, a faint or momentary gleam; a glimmer.
1663. J. Heath, Eng. Chron. (1691), 76. The King … caused the Twinkles of his Eyes to be put out … by burning Glasses.
1718. Pope, Lett. to Lady M. W. Montagu, 1 Sept. In the very twinkle of one eye of it [your body] there is more wit,… than [etc.].
1748. Thomson, Cast. Indol., I. 617. He had a roguish twinkle in his eye.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xvii. As the benighted sailor descries the first distant twinkle of the lighthouse which marks his course. Ibid. (1825), Talism., iii. A twinkle in the star of thy nativity, which promises for thee something that is good and gracious.
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., III. i. (1872), I. 141. A certain twinkle of mirth in the serious eyes.
1860. Mayhew, Upper Rhine, i. § 1. 15. Nor is it possible to catch sight of even so much as a twinkle of the fire.
b. transf. and fig.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., II. ii. 169. The broad accent … and its sly twinkles of humour.
1885. G. Meredith, Diana, xxxiii. Was there a twinkle of probability in the story?
1893. L. S. Keyser in Chicago Advance, 3 Aug. The twinkle of wings, the twitter of voices.
