clink
/klɪŋk/ (bre, ipa) · /klɪŋk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkliŋk/ (ame, mw)
clink — verb
- clinkpresent simple I / you / we / they
- clinkshe / she / it
- clinkedpast simple
- clinking-ing form
1. to produce, or cause two hard objects such as glasses, coins, or metal cutlery t
to produce, or cause two hard objects such as glasses, coins, or metal cutlery to produce, a brief high-pitched ringing as their surfaces meet.
Vikram and Darius clinked their wine glasses to celebrate the new contract.
transitive: clink + plural object (two glasses)
Coins clinked at the bottom of the metal donation box during the morning service.
intransitive: subject is the noisy object
Yuki accidentally clinked her spoon against the porcelain bowl while stirring the soup.
Bottles clinked together in the cardboard box every time Owen lifted it from the car.
The waiter set down a tray, and Anong heard glasses clink as the family said cheers.
- thud
dull heavy sound rather than light ringing
文法句型
clink + against
clink + with
用法筆記
Subject of the intransitive use is almost always a small hard object (glass, coin, key, cutlery) — abstract subjects do not clink. The transitive form usually takes a paired or plural object representing the two things striking each other.
常見錯誤
clink — noun
1. a brief, high-pitched ringing made when two small hard surfaces meet, such as gl
a brief, high-pitched ringing made when two small hard surfaces meet, such as glass on glass or metal on metal.
Amani heard the clink of coffee cups from the kitchen as her parents got ready for work.
pattern: the clink of [plural countable noun]
There was a soft clink as Talia dropped her keys onto the marble counter.
pattern: a clink as [event clause]
Guests at the wedding heard the clink of champagne glasses during every toast.
Sofia counted each clink as the silver coins fell one by one into her grandfather's tin box.
- thud
dull heavy impact sound
文法句型
a clink of [hard objects]
用法筆記
Often used with the partitive structure 'the clink of [hard objects]'. Distinguish from sense 2 (informal British 'prison') — sense 2 takes 'the' as a fixed slang reference, never plural, and is not about a sound.
常見錯誤
2. an informal British way of referring to jail, used as a fixed expression usually
an informal British way of referring to jail, used as a fixed expression usually after 'in' or 'out of'.
Piotr's older cousin spent six months in the clink after a bar fight in Manchester.
fixed phrase: in the clink
Eleni joked that her brother would end up in the clink if he kept driving like that.
humorous tone, common register
When Ignacio finally got out of the clink, his old neighbours barely recognised him.
The newspaper said the politician would be thrown in the clink for tax fraud.
文法句型
in the clink
out of the clink
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'the' and used in fixed phrases such as 'in the clink' or 'out of the clink'. Origin is from a famous old prison in London. Distinguish from sense 1 (the sound) by surrounding context — this sense never appears with 'a clink of'.