twinkle

Etymology

From Middle English twinclen, twynclen, from Old English twinclian (“to twinkle”), equivalent to twink (“to wink; blink; twinkle”) + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare German zwinkern (“to wink; twinkle”).

verb

1. (of a source of light) To shine with a flickering light; to glimmer.
   We could see the lights of the village twinkling in the distance.
   As the train rumbled slowly over the Forth Bridge, the western sky was aflame with a particularly gorgeous sunset, and lights were twinkling from the small craft riding at anchor on the calm waters of the firth. 1950 January, Arthur F. Beckenham, “With British Railways to the Far North”, in Railway Magazine, page 8
2. (chiefly of eyes) To be bright with delight.
   His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly.
3. To bat, blink or wink the eyes.
   She smiled and gave a little nod and twinkled her eyes[…] 1922, Mrs. Juliet M. Hueffer Soskice, Chapters from Childhood: Reminiscences of an Artist's Granddaughter, page 165
4. To flit to and fro.
   A butterfly twinkled among the vines[…] 1988, Dorothy Gilman, Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle, page 190

noun

1. A sparkle or glimmer of light.
   Soon the rocket was out of sight, and the flame was only seen as a tiny twinkle of light. 1980, Robert De Beaugrande, Text, Discourse, and Process
2. A sparkle of delight in the eyes.
   He was a rotund, jolly man with a twinkle in his eye.
3. A flitting movement.
   I saw the twinkle of white feet, 1848, James Russell Lowell, Hebe
4. (colloquial) A brief moment; a twinkling.
5. (childish) The female genitalia.
   The popular Swedish cartoon song about genitals was translated as "Willie and Twinkle".