A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1409-1436, 1490-1568, 1632-1691
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Twinkilling, Twinklyng, vbl. n. Also: twin(c)kling, twynkling(e, twynklyng, twynkleing, tuinkling, twingling. [ME and e.m.E. twinklingu(e (a1300), twynkelyng (Manning), twynglyng (a1310), twynklyng (a1380), twinklinge (Gower), twinckling (1477), twynkeling (Caxton), twinkling (1601).]
1. An act of shining or scintillating; an instance of brightness. 1513 Doug. iii viii 19.
Of euery starn the twynklyng [Sm. twinkilling, Ruddim. twynkling] notis he 1513 Doug. vii viii 116.
The brycht mettale … Quharon the sonnys blenkis betis cleir … Castis ane new twynklyng or a lemand lycht
2. The act of blinking the eye, applied to an action of the slightest sort. a1568 Bannatyne MS I p. 36/38.
May nocht be hid … That evir ȝe did … The twynkleing of ȝour ene be socht
3. The act of blinking. 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 294.
The sight is of noe long duration, only continueing so long as they can keep their eye steady without twinkling
b. The time taken to blink the eye, an instant, a brief moment. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 185/29.
Sen to the lyfe that evir dois lest Heir is bot twynklyng of ane e
c. In (with) (a, the) twinkling of an (our, etc.) eye(s), in an instant, at once. c1409-1436 Kingis Quair § 163.
Othir eke, that sat aboue on hye, Were ouerthrawe in twinklyng of an eye 1490 Irland Mir. I 140/16.
In a moment and twynklinge of ane e his precius body come throu the blist wame of the … virgin c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 235.
In twynklyng [M. tuinkling] of ane eye to scip thai went c1530-40 Stewart in Maitl. F. 247/53.
Thair is ane king of kingis … Quhilk with twinkling of ane e May do and vndo all kin thingis So mervalous is His maiestie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5616.
In the twynkling of one ee 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 450.
I thocht … That the ruif tre of all this haill maissoun Vnto the eird was quyte declynit doun. And sine again in twinkling of our eyis, It was vpliftit 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 27.
With twingling of ane eye anone, God sall thé tak 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 458.
Being every second or third day attended with the twinckling of an eye, and my sustenance agreeable to my attendance, my body grew exceeding debile and infirme [marg. A speedy expedition for a mercilesse mischeife] 1661 Fugitive Poetry II xxxii 10/23.
In twinckling of an eye
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"Twinkilling vbl. n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/twinkilling>
