wink
v.v. to close and open one eye quickly as a signal to someone. You might do this to show you are joking, to share a secret, or to be friendly.
v. to close and open one eyelid quickly as a signal of shared knowledge, affection, or humor. Often used to indicate that a preceding statement was not intended to be taken literally.
He gave me a quick wink to show he was joking.
She didn't say anything, but she did wink at me to let me know the surprise was ready.
The comedian would often wink at the front row after a particularly sharp joke, signaling that his stage persona was distinct from his actual opinions.
From Middle English wynken, from Old English wincian (“to wink, make a sign, close the eyes, blink”, weak verb), from Proto-West Germanic winkōn (“to close one's eyes”), from Proto-Indo-European weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”). Cognate with Middle Low German winken (“to blink, wink”), German winken (“to nod, beckon, make a sign”). Related also to Saterland Frisian wäänke, Dutch wenken (“to beckon, motion”), Latin vacillare (“sway”), Lithuanian véngti (“to swerve, avoid”), Albanian vang (“tire, felloe”), Sanskrit वङ्गति (vaṅgati, “(he, she) limps”), French guigner (“to eye, sneak a look at”).
Clipping of tiddlywink.
Clipping of periwinkle.
Intransitive when describing the physical act; typically takes the preposition 'at' before the person receiving the signal.