Tinkle

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈtɪŋkəl/

Definitions

1. A light, clear ringing sound made by small metal objects striking together, or to make such a sound
2. A soft, high-pitched ringing sound produced by the collision of small metal items or the act of creating such a sound in a gentle manner
3. A delicate sound resembling a light bell ringing occurs when small metallic objects touch or when one gently creates this sound intentionally

Etymology: The verb "tinkle" is built from "tink," a sound-imitating base, plus the frequentative suffix "-le," which adds the sense of repeated action. So a tinkle is a series of small, quick ringing noises rather than one sharp chime. The "-le" ending is the same one found in "sparkle," "twinkle" and "crackle," where it turns a short sound or movement into something that repeats or flickers. The word came into English from Middle English "tinclen," and it has close relatives across the North Sea. West Frisian has "tinkelje," Dutch has "tinkelen," and Low German "tinkeln" once meant "to flicker, glitter, sparkle." That older German sense is a useful clue: the sound and the visual shimmer of small bright things were tied together, so a tinkling bell and a glinting light were once described with the same family of words.

Synonyms: jingle, ring, chime, tinkle, clink

Antonyms: silence, muffle