tinkle

1 of 2

verb

tin·​kle ˈtiŋ-kəl How to pronounce tinkle (audio)
tinkled; tinkling ˈtiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tinkle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to make or emit a tinkle or a sound suggestive of a tinkle
2

transitive verb

1
: to sound or make known (the time) by a tinkle
2
a
: to cause to make a tinkle
b
: to produce by tinkling
tinkle a tune

tinkle

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noun

1
: a series of short high ringing or clinking sounds
2
: a jingling effect in verse or prose

Examples of tinkle in a Sentence

Verb The ice tinkled in the glass. A piano was tinkling in the background. He tinkled a small bell. Noun the soothing tinkle of the wind chime on the back porch
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Gone is Greenwell’s glittering ceremony, the long sentences tinkling with semicolons. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024 The cocktail hour’s soundtrack was a mariachi band, Los Campos, and loads of tinkling marimba by Tono 13. Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 June 2024
Noun
The door chime at their floral and gift shop tinkles every few minutes as another customer and friend comes in to collect their $10 bows. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024 On our first evening the piano bar—resplendent in gold Thai silks, with tiger orchids blooming across the green carpet—was filled with laughter, the glug-glug-glug of Champagne pouring, and the tinkle of keys. Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for tinkle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tinkle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, frequentative of tinken to tinkle, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tinkle was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tinkle

Cite this Entry

“Tinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinkle. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

tinkle

verb
tin·​kle
ˈtiŋ-kəl
tinkled; tinkling
-k(ə-)liŋ
: to make or cause to make a series of short high ringing or clinking sounds
tinkle noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tinkle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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