Squink

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To partly close the eyes so as to peer or see more clearly, as in dialect speech
2. Narrowing the eyelids to look at something in dim or bright light, a regional way of squinting
3. Screwing up the eyes in order to focus on a distant or faint object

Etymology: "Squink" is an imitative word, meaning it was formed to echo a sound rather than descended from an older root. Its closest relatives are "plink" and "quonk," which share that same sound-driven character: a sharp, light note or a quick, small noise. The "sq-" opening gives it a slightly squelching or squeaky quality, the kind of sudden, slight sound a word like this is built to suggest. Because it is imitative, its form tracks the sound it names rather than a borrowed foreign source. Words in this family often arise independently in different places, so their resemblance to one another reflects shared sound-symbolism more than any direct line of descent.