Blink
/blɪŋk/noun
To shut and open the eyes quickly.
Did you know?In Old English, 'blincan' meant 'to shine' or 'to flicker', tying eye movements to the act of light and perception, almost as if witnessing a fleeting moment of magic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰlengʰ-
“to shine, to glitter.”
Old English
Old English
blincan
“to flicker or shine briefly.”
Middle English
Middle English
blinken
“to flicker or blink.”
Modern English
English
blink
“to close and open the eyes quickly.”