Word
kink
UK/kˈɪŋk/
Definition
n. a small problem or flaw in a plan or system that needs to be fixed. It can also mean a sharp twist or curl in something straight, like a wire or a hose.
n. a minor flaw or technical problem in a system, plan, or piece of equipment; also refers to a sharp twist or loop in a flexible material. Often used metaphorically in project management to describe initial difficulties.
Examples
“We need to work out the kinks in the new software.”
“The engineers spent the weekend testing the prototype to identify any mechanical kinks before the official launch.”
“While the overall strategy was sound, several logistical kinks emerged during the implementation phase, requiring immediate adjustments to the distribution network.”
Examples
simple
“We need to work out the kinks in the new software.”
contextual
“The engineers spent the weekend testing the prototype to identify any mechanical kinks before the official launch.”
complex
“While the overall strategy was sound, several logistical kinks emerged during the implementation phase, requiring immediate adjustments to the distribution network.”
Usage
Commonly used in the plural form when referring to problems ('work out the kinks').
Real-World Examples
“In our galaxy, most stellar streams we can see are irregular—gaps and kinks interrupt an otherwise uniform smear of stars.” Etymology
From Middle English kinken, kynken, from Old English cincian (attested in cincung), from Proto-West Germanic kinkōn, from Proto-Germanic kinkōną (“to laugh”), from Proto-Indo-European gang- (“to mock, jeer, deride”), related to Old English canc (“jeering, scorn, derision”). Cognate with Dutch kinken (“to kink, cough”).
From Dutch kink (“a twist or curl in a rope”), from Proto-Germanic kenk-, keng- (“to bend, turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *gengʰ- (“to turn, wind, braid, weave”). Compare Saterland Frisian Kink (“twist or entanglement in a rope or cord”), Middle Low German kinke (“spiral screw, coil”), Old Norse kikna (“to bend backwards, sink at the knee”), Icelandic kengur (“a bend or bight; a metal crook”). Probably related to kick.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.