name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
tinkle
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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US: /ˈtɪŋkəl/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɪŋkəl
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CMU ARPABET: T IH1 NG K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A light metallic sound, resembling the tinkling of bells or wind chimes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A telephone call.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, informal, uncountable
Examples
- Give me a tinkle when you arrive.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: call, ring
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
An act of urination.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, euphemistic, informal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Urine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, euphemistic, informal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To make light metallic sounds, rather like a very small bell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
- The glasses tinkled together as they were placed on the table.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To cause to tinkle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To indicate, signal, etc. by tinkling.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- The butler tinkled dinner.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 9
To hear, or resound with, a small, sharp sound.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 10
To urinate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
a light clear metallic sound as of a small bell
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ting
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sound
verb
Meaning 12
make or emit a high sound
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- tinkling bells
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tink, clink, chink
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sound, go
History
Etymology
From Middle English tinclen, equivalent to tink + -le (frequentative suffix). Cognate with West Frisian tinkelje (“to tinkle”), Dutch tinkelen (“to tinkle”), German Low German tinkeln (“to flicker, glitter, sparkle”).
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: звънтене (zvǎntene) — light metallic sound
- Bulgarian: дрънчене (drǎnčene) — light metallic sound
- Finnish: kilinä — light metallic sound
- Finnish: kilahdus — light metallic sound
- French: tintement — light metallic sound
- German: Klingeln — light metallic sound
- Portuguese: tinido — light metallic sound
- Russian: звя́канье (zvjákanʹje) — light metallic sound
- Russian: звон (zvon) — light metallic sound
- Swedish: pling — light metallic sound
- Welsh: tonc — light metallic sound
- Bulgarian: телефонен звън (telefonen zvǎn) — informal: phone call
- Finnish: kilautus — informal: phone call
- German: Telefonat — informal: phone call
- German: Anruf — informal: phone call
- Welsh: tonc — informal: phone call
- Finnish: liri — euphemistic: act of urination
- German: Pipi — euphemistic: act of urination
- Bulgarian: звънтя (zvǎntja) — to make light metallic sounds
- Czech: cinkat — to make light metallic sounds
- Czech: zacinkat — to make light metallic sounds
- Finnish: kilistä — to make light metallic sounds
- Finnish: kilahtaa — to make light metallic sounds
- Finnish: kilahdella — to make light metallic sounds
- French: tinter — to make light metallic sounds
- Galician: tinguelear — to make light metallic sounds
- German: klingeln — to make light metallic sounds
- German: klimpern — to make light metallic sounds
- Ingrian: kilissä — to make light metallic sounds
- Ingrian: trilissä — to make light metallic sounds
- Māori: ngaehe — to make light metallic sounds
- Māori: ngahehe — to make light metallic sounds
- Norman: tînter — to make light metallic sounds
- Portuguese: tinir — to make light metallic sounds
- Russian: бренча́ть (brenčátʹ) — to make light metallic sounds
- Russian: звене́ть (zvenétʹ) — to make light metallic sounds
- Russian: дребезжа́ть (drebezžátʹ) — to make light metallic sounds
- Czech: cinkat — to cause to tinkle
- Czech: zacinkat — to cause to tinkle
- Finnish: kilistää — to cause to tinkle
- Finnish: kilistellä — to cause to tinkle
- Finnish: kilauttaa — to cause to tinkle
- Finnish: kilautella — to cause to tinkle
- Norman: tînter — to cause to tinkle
- Bulgarian: звъня (zvǎnja) — to indicate by tinkling
- Finnish: kilistää — to indicate by tinkling
- Bulgarian: дрънча (drǎnča) — to hear, or resound with, a small, sharp sound
- Finnish: soida — to hear, or resound with, a small, sharp sound