winkle

UK: /ˈwɪŋk^əl/ US: (wing′kəl)

Inflections of 'winkle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

winkles

v 3rd person singular

winkling

v pres p

winkled

v past

winkled

v past p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

win•kle  (wing′kəl), n., v., -kled, -kling. [Brit.]
n. 

1. Invertebrates, British Terms any of various marine gastropods;
   periwinkle.

v.t. 

2. British Terms, Informal Terms [Informal.] to pry (something) out of a place, as winkle meat is dug out of its shell with a pin (usually fol. by out).

• short for periwinkle 1575–85

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

winkle / ˈwɪŋk^əl/ noun

1. See periwinkle1

verb

1. (tr; usually followed by out, out of, etc) to extract or prise out

Etymology: 16th Century: shortened from periwinkle¹