winkle

noun

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win·kle | \ ˈwiŋ-kəl

Definition of winkle

(Entry 1 of 3)

: periwinkle entry 2

winkle

verb (1)

winkled; winkling\ ˈwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ

Definition of winkle (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

: twinkle

winkle

verb (2)

winkled; winkling

Definition of winkle (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1 chiefly British : to displace, remove, or evict from a position —usually used with out

2 chiefly British : to obtain or draw out by effort —usually used with out no attempt to winkle out why they do it— Joan Bakewell

Winkle and WWI Example Sentences Phrases Containing winkle Learn More About winkle

Winkle and WWI

If you have ever extracted a winkle from its shell, then you understand how the verb winkle came to be. The word winkle is short for periwinkle, the name of a marine or freshwater snail. Periwinkle is ultimately derived from Latin pina, the name of a mussel, and Old English wincle, a snail shell. Evidently the personnel of World War I's Allied Powers found their duty of finding and removing the enemy from the trenches analogous to extracting a well-entrenched snail and began using winkle to describe their efforts. The action of "winkling the enemy out" was later extended to other situations, such as "winkling information out of someone."

Examples of winkle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb But whenever things turn too lapidary, the image will change to Sergio charging up a sheer hill or Gianfranco trying to winkle another thousand euros out of a chef. — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2021 The pleasures of Glenconner’s tales must be winkled out of her sturdy if occasionally clichéd prose: revelations of the strange juxtapositions of an unexpectedly upstairs-downstairs aristocratic life. — Alida Becker, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'winkle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.