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winkle was our Word of the Day on 07/20/2016. Hear the podcast!
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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."
Origin and Etymology of winkle
by shortening
Other Invertebrates (Except Insects) Terms
Definition of winkle
Origin and Etymology of winkle
frequentative of wink
Definition of winkle
winkled;
winkling
play
\ˈwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ\
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
Origin and Etymology of winkle
1winkle; from the process of extracting a winkle from its shell
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 1918
in the meaning defined at sense 1
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