jink

1 of 2

verb

jinked; jinking; jinks

intransitive verb

: to move quickly or unexpectedly with sudden turns and shifts (as in dodging)

jink

2 of 2

noun

1
: a quick evasive turn : slip
2
jinks plural : pranks, frolics
especially : high jinks

Did you know?

Besides the fact that jink first appears in Scottish English, the exact origins of this shifty little word are unknown. What can be said with certainty is that the word has always expressed a quick or unexpected motion. For instance, in two poems from 1785, Robert Burns uses jink as a verb to indicate both the quick motion of a fiddler's elbow and the sudden disappearance of a cheat around a corner. In the 20th century, the verb caught on with air force pilots and rugby players, who began using it to describe their elusive maneuvers to dodge opponents and enemies. Jink can also be used as a noun meaning "a quick evasive turn" or, in its plural form, "pranks." The latter use was likely influenced by the term high jinks, which originally referred in the late 17th century to a Scottish drinking game and later came to refer to horseplay.

Examples of jink in a Sentence

Verb jinking here and there with remarkable agility, the thieving urchin frustrated all attempts to catch him
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The Athletic: Martinez jinks one way before diving to his left as Benjamin Andre runs up. Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 22 Aug. 2024 On the day of our recent visit, the place was little more than a 3.5-mile loop of pavement—albeit one that jinks across the land like a back road in the Great Smoky Mountains, with 127 feet of elevation change from beginning to end. Sam Smith, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2024
Noun
His jink opens a pass into Bernardo Silva that Romeo Lavia cannot take away and when the ball ends up at the feet of Erling Haaland in that kind of position, the outcome feels inevitable. Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 28 Aug. 2024 The line is played for high-jink amusement, but there’s a lurking horror to the broader situation. Vulture, 30 Aug. 2022 See all Example Sentences for jink 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1785, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1786, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jink was in 1785

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Cite this Entry

“Jink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jink. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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