unwinking

verb (used without object)

1. to close and open one or both eyes quickly.
2. to close and open one eye quickly as a hint or signal or with some sly meaning (often followed by at): She winked at him across the room.
3. (of the eyes) to close and open thus; blink.
4. to shine with little flashes of light; twinkle: The city lights winked in the distance.

verb (used with object)

5. to close and open (one or both eyes) quickly; execute or give (a wink).
6. to drive or force by winking (usually followed by back or away): She attempted to wink back the tears.
7. to signal or convey by a wink.

noun

8. an act of winking.
9. a winking movement, especially of one eye in giving a hint or signal.
10. a hint or signal given by winking.
11. the time required for winking once; an instant or twinkling: I’ll be there in a wink.
12. a little flash of light; twinkle.
13. the least bit: I didn’t sleep a wink last night.

Verb Phrases

14. wink at, to ignore deliberately, as to avoid the necessity of taking action: to wink at minor offenses.

adjective

1. vigilant; watchful

verb

1. (intr) to close and open one eye quickly, deliberately, or in an exaggerated fashion to convey friendliness, etc
2. to close and open (an eye or the eyes) momentarily
3. (tr; foll by away, back, etc) to force away (tears, etc) by winking
4. (tr) to signal with a wink
5. (intr) (of a light) to gleam or flash intermittently

noun

6. a winking movement, esp one conveying a signal, etc, or such a signal
7. an interrupted flashing of light
8. a brief moment of time; instant
9. informal the smallest amount, esp of sleepSee also forty winks
10. tip the wink British informal to give a hint

noun

1. a disc used in the game of tiddlywinks

v.Old English wincian “to nod, wink,” from Proto-Germanic *wenkanan (cf. Dutch wenken, Old High German winkan, German winken), a gradational variant of the root of Old High German wankon “to stagger, totter,” Old Norse vakka “to stray, hover,” from PIE *weng- “to bend, curve.” The meaning “close an eye as a hint or signal” is first recorded c.1100; that of “close one’s eyes to fault or irregularity” first attested late 15c. Related: Winked; winking. n.c.1300, from wink (v.); meaning “very brief moment of time” is attested from 1580s. v.

1. To close and open the eyelid of one eye deliberately, as to convey a message, signal, or suggestion.
2. To close and open the eyelids of both eyes; blink.

n.

1. A quick closing and opening of the eyelids; a blink.

In addition to the idiom beginning with wink

wink at

also see:

forty winks

quick as a wink

sleep a wink