Winkle Meaning in English

word

US

ˈwɪŋkəɫ

WIN-kuhl

UK

wˈɪŋkəl

WIN-kuhl

Definition

A 'winkle' is a small sea snail eaten as seafood. Informally, 'to winkle (out)' means to remove or extract something with effort, especially from a tight space.

Usage & Nuances

As a noun, mostly British and used in seafood contexts. As a verb, informal and often used with 'out': 'winkle out.' The verb is rare in American English. The noun is almost always plural when referring to food: 'eat winkles.'

• Spanish: bígaro (molusco) - sacar (informal)
• Portuguese (BR): bígaro (molusco) - retirar (gíria)
• Portuguese (PT): búzio (molusco) - tirar (informal)
• Chinese (Simplified): 海螺（贝类）- 慢慢取出（口语）
• Chinese (Traditional): 海螺（貝類）- 慢慢取出（口語）
• Hindi: पराग गोला (शंख का एक प्रकार) - धीरे से निकालना (अनौपचारिक)
• Arabic: برغوث البحر (محار صغير) - إخراج ببطء (غير رسمي)
• Bengali: সামুদ্রিক শামুক (খাবার) - কষ্ট করে বের করা
• Russian: морской улитка (съедобная) - вытащить (с трудом)
• Japanese: ニシ（食用の海のカタツムリ） - こじ開ける
• Vietnamese: ốc biển nhỏ (ăn được) - moi ra (vất vả)
• Korean: 고둥 (식용 조개) - 힘들게 꺼내다
• Turkish: deniz salyangozu (yenilebilir) - zorla çıkarmak
• Urdu: سمندری گھونگا (کھانے کی چیز) - مشکل سے نکالنا
• Indonesian: ốc biển nhỏ (ăn được) - moi ra (khó khăn)

Example Sentences

We collected winkles on the beach.

basic

He tried to winkle the shrimp from its shell.

basic

Winkles are popular snacks in Britain.

basic

I finally managed to winkle the key out from behind the sofa.

natural

It took hours to winkle the truth out of him.

natural

If you want more details, you'll have to winkle them out yourself.

natural