Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Tinkle

{

Tink′er-shire

,

Tin′kle

}
,
Noun.
(Zool.)
The common guillemot.
[Prov. Eng.]

Tin′kle

,
Verb.
I.
[Freq. of
tink
. See
Tink
,
Tingle
.]
1.
To make, or give forth, small, quick, sharp sounds, as a piece of metal does when struck; to clink.
As sounding brass, or a
tinkling
cymbal.
1 Cor. xiii. 1.
The sprightly horse
Moves to the music of his
tinkling
bells.
Dodsley.
2.
To hear, or resound with, a small, sharp sound.
And his ears
tinkled
, and the color fled.
Dryden.

Tin′kle

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Tinkled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Tinkling
.]
To cause to clonk, or make small, sharp, quick sounds.

Tin′kle

,
Noun.
A small, sharp, quick sound, as that made by striking metal.
Cowper.

Webster 1828 Edition


Tinkle

TINK'LE

, v.i.
1.
To make small quick sharp sounds, as by striking on metal; to clink.
--And have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 1 Cor.13. Is.3.
The sprightly horse
Moves to the music of his tinkling bells.
The moment the money tinkles in the chest, the soul mounts out of purgatory.
2.
To hear a small sharp sound.
And his ears tinkled, and his color fled.

TINK'LE

,
Verb.
T.
To cause to clink or make sharp quick sounds.

Definition 2024


tinkle

tinkle

English

Verb

tinkle (third-person singular simple present tinkles, present participle tinkling, simple past and past participle tinkled)

  1. (intransitive) To make light metallic sounds, rather like a very small bell.
    The glasses tinkled together as they were placed on the table.
    • Dodsley
      The sprightly horse / Moves to the music of his tinkling bells.
  2. (intransitive, informal, juvenile) To urinate.
  3. (transitive) To cause to tinkle.
  4. (transitive) To indicate, signal, etc. by tinkling.
    The butler tinkled dinner.
  5. To hear, or resound with, a small, sharp sound.
    • Dryden
      And his ears tinkled, and the colour fled.

Related terms

Translations

Noun

tinkle (plural tinkles)

  1. A light metallic sound, resembling the tinkling of bells or wind chimes.
    • 1994, Stephen Fry, The Hippopotamus, ch. 2:
      At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. . . . There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.
  2. (Britain, informal) A telephone call.
    Give me a tinkle when you arrive.
  3. (informal, euphemistic) An act of urination.

Translations