clink
English
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clink¹
- /klɪŋk/
Rhymes with -ɪŋk
Where it comes from
From Middle English clinken, from Old English *clincan (compare clynnan, clynian (“to sound; resound”)), from Proto-Germanic *klinganą (“to sound”).
Cognates include Middle Dutch klinken and German klingen. Related to cling (sound) and clang. May be further related to call.
Perhaps of onomatopoeic origin, as metal against metal.
noun clinks
- The sound of metal on metal, or glass on glass. You could hear the clink of the glasses from the next room.
- Stress cracks produced in metal ingots as they cool after being cast.
verb clinks · clinking · clinked
- To make a clinking sound; to make a sound of metal on metal or glass on glass; to strike materials such as metal or glass against one another. The hammers clinked on the stone all night.
- To rhyme.
clink²
- /klɪŋk/
Rhymes with -ɪŋk
Where it comes from
From the Clink prison in Southwark, London, itself presumably named after sound of doors being bolted or chains rattling.
noun clinks · klink
- A prison. If he keeps doing things like that, he’s sure to end up in the clink.
clink³
- /klɪŋk/
Rhymes with -ɪŋk
verb clinks · clinking · clinked
- To clinch; to rivet.
Clink⁴
proper noun Clinks
- A surname.
Translations
Every language
noun sound
| Español | entrechocamiento |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 叮当声 |
| Português | tinido |
| Italiano | tintinnio |
| Русский | звон zvon |
verb make a clinking sound
| Español | entrechocar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | （使）叮当响 |
| Português | tinir |
| Ελληνικά | τσουγκρίζω tsougkrízo |
| Русский | бренча́ть brenčátʹ, звуча́ть zvučátʹ, звя́кать zvjákatʹ, бря́цать brjácatʹ, звене́ть zvenétʹ, дребезжа́ть drebezžátʹ |
Talk about this word "clink." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/clink. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. clink. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/clink "clink." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/clink.Cite this
@misc{clink_2026,
title = {clink},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/clink},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
