Nictitate
/ˈnɪk.tɪ.teɪt/noun
To wink or blink, especially repeatedly or involuntarily.
Did you know?Nictitate comes from Latin *nictāre*, “to blink,” and is related to the same Indo-European root that gave English *wink*—a reminder that even our smallest gestures have very old language magic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*neigʷ-
“to wink, blink”
Latin
Latin
nictāre
“to blink or wink repeatedly”
Late Latin
Latin
nictitāre
“to blink often; to keep winking”
17th Century
English
nictitate
“to blink or wink”
Modern English
English
nictitate
“to blink or wink, especially repeatedly or involuntarily”