tinkle
/ˈtɪŋkl/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈɪŋkəl] /ˈtɪŋkl/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈɪŋkəl] /ˈtiŋ-kəl How to pronounce tinkle (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /ˈtɪŋ.kəl/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈɪŋkəl] /ˈtɪŋ.kəl/ (ame, ipa)
tinkle — noun
- tinklesingular
- tinklesplural
1. a soft, high sound that small metal or glass objects make when they knock lightl
a soft, high sound that small metal or glass objects make when they knock lightly against each other — like tiny bells, wind chimes, or ice cubes in a glass
Yuna heard the soft tinkle of wind chimes as she opened the garden gate.
collocation: tinkle of wind chimes
The tinkle of teaspoons against saucers filled the small café.
From the next room came the faint tinkle of a music box.
Mateo smiled at the cheerful tinkle of his daughter's bracelet as she ran.
There was a gentle tinkle of ice as Olivia poured the lemonade.
2. a quick, casual phone call, usually just to share a small piece of news or have
a quick, casual phone call, usually just to share a small piece of news or have a brief chat
Give me a tinkle this evening and I'll tell you what happened at work.
informal register: give me a tinkle
Maeve promised her gran she'd give her a tinkle before bedtime.
I'll have a tinkle with Asher later to sort out the weekend plans.
Could you give your aunt a tinkle? She has been asking about you all week.
用法筆記
Common in informal British English; rarely used in American English. Often paired with 'give' (give someone a tinkle).
常見錯誤
3. an act of passing urine from the body — a gentle or playful word used mainly wit
an act of passing urine from the body — a gentle or playful word used mainly with young children
Bilal pulled the car over so his little boy could have a tinkle by the roadside.
informal register: have a tinkle
'Do you need a tinkle before we go into the cinema?' she asked her son.
The puppy had a tinkle on the kitchen floor again.
Mayumi's little girl announced loudly in the restaurant that she needed a tinkle.
用法筆記
Used mainly with young children or in playful informal conversation between adults. Not suitable for formal, medical, or professional contexts.
tinkle — verb
- tinklepresent simple I / you / we / they
- tinkles3rd person singular
- tinkling-ing form
- tinkledpast simple
1. to make a series of light, high sounds, like small pieces of glass or metal gent
to make a series of light, high sounds, like small pieces of glass or metal gently tapping against each other
Small brass bells tinkled above the door every time a customer walked in.
collocation: bells tinkled
Marta's earrings tinkled softly as she turned her head.
Ice cubes tinkled in Sirin's glass as she raised it to make a toast.
The goat wore a bell around its neck that tinkled with every step.
A music box tinkled a lullaby from somewhere inside the nursery.
- clang
a loud, harsh metallic sound
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive. A rare transitive use exists in literary contexts (e.g. 'a music box tinkled a tune'), where the instrument 'plays' the melody through tinkling.
2. to pass urine from the body — a gentle or playful way of talking about going to
to pass urine from the body — a gentle or playful way of talking about going to the toilet, especially used with children
Cyrus asked the teacher if he could go and tinkle before the lesson started.
informal register: go and tinkle
The puppy tinkled on the newspaper, which was exactly what they had hoped.
Tunde had to stop three times on the drive because his toddler needed to tinkle.
Ayesha whispered to her mum that she needed to tinkle during the wedding ceremony.
用法筆記
Used mainly with young children or in playful informal conversation. Not suitable for medical, professional, or formal contexts — use 'urinate' instead.