Hink

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Dialect verb meaning to hesitate or stop briefly before doing something ; a short pause or moment of uncertainty before a decision is made
2. To hold back for a moment in doubt before acting ; a brief spell of hesitation or wavering before going on
3. Used in regional English to mean pausing in indecision ; the momentary doubt or delay that comes before a choice

Etymology: The old sense of "hink" is closer to a physical stumble than a mental pause. It seems to be linked to Middle English "hinken," to limp or halt, so the image behind the word was of a faltering step. The link is plausible, but the early record is thin, so the exact ancestry is uncertain. The related senses of stopping short and catching, as in a hitch in movement or breath, follow naturally from that original picture of an interrupted step. Scots and northern English speakers kept these senses in use longer than most of the standard language did, which is why the word still turns up in older regional writing.

Synonyms: hesitate, falter, waver

Antonyms: proceed, persist