tiddlywink
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tiddlywink¹
- /ˈtɪdəlɪwɪŋk/ UK
- /ˈtɪdlɪ-/ UK
- /ˈtɪdliˌwɪŋk/ US
Where it comes from
Sense 1 (“unlicensed beerhouse or pawnshop”) and sense 2 (“alcoholic drink”) are possibly related to tiddly (“(noun) alcoholic beverage; (adjective) somewhat drunk”).
noun tiddlywinks
-
An unlicensed beerhouse or pawnshop.
Similar: kiddlywink
- An alcoholic drink.
- A game played using dominoes.
tiddlywink²
- /ˈtɪdəlɪwɪŋk/ UK
- /ˈtɪdlɪ-/ UK
- /ˈtɪdliˌwɪŋk/ US
Where it comes from
The noun is possibly derived from tiddly (“(informal) little, tiny”) + wink (“blinking of one eye”), perhaps borrowed from etymology 1. The game, now called tiddlywinks, was patented by a British bank clerk, Joseph Assheton Fincher (1863–1900), on 19 October 1889, and the name Tiddledy-Winks trademarked by him the same year.
The verb is derived from the noun.
noun tiddlywinks
-
A small disc used in the game of tiddlywinks; (by extension) a similar disc or counter used in other games.
Similar: wink
verb tiddlywinks · tiddlywinking · tiddlywinked
- Especially of something disc-shaped: to flip over like a disc used in the game of tiddlywinks.
- To play tiddlywinks.
Talk about this word "tiddlywink." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tiddlywink. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tiddlywink. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tiddlywink "tiddlywink." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tiddlywink.Cite this
@misc{tiddlywink_2026,
title = {tiddlywink},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tiddlywink},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
