English Reference
Word noun · adjective

pinky

n. · adj.
US /ˈpɪŋki/ UK /pˈɪŋki/ pinky
Definition
  1. 01 B1 Intermediate Informal

    n.the smallest finger on your hand, furthest from your thumb.

    n.the fifth and smallest digit of the human hand. Informal in register but standard in many English-speaking regions.

    Simple

    “He wore a small gold ring on his left pinky.”

    In context

    “She extended her pinky while sipping her tea, a habit her grandmother had taught her to signify politeness.”

    Usage

    Commonly used in the phrase 'pinky swear' to describe a promise made by locking fingers.

    Synonyms
    little finger
    Antonyms
    thumb
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Science

    n.a very young mouse that does not have fur yet, often used to feed pet snakes.

    n.a newborn, hairless mouse or rat, typically used as a feeder animal for captive reptiles.

    Simple

    “The pet shop sells frozen pinkies for people who own snakes.”

    In context

    “The herpetologist carefully offered a thawed pinky to the juvenile python using a pair of long feeding tongs.”

    Synonyms
    newborn
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.having a light pink colour.

    adj.possessing a pale pink hue or tint; somewhat pink.

    Simple

    “The sky turned a pinky orange as the sun went down.”

    In context

    “The artist mixed a small amount of crimson into the white to achieve a delicate, pinky flesh tone for the portrait.”

    Synonyms
    pinkishrosy
Etymology
Etymology 1

From pink + -y.

Etymology 2

From Dutch pinkje, diminutive of Dutch pink (“little finger”). Cognate with West Frisian pinke (“pinky”), dialectal English pink (“something small or tiny”), and perhaps to Old English pinca (“a point”). Compare also German Low German Pink (“penis”), English pintle (“penis”).

Etymology 3

From pink + -y, from pink (“to wink”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated