Sprinkle vs Tinkle - What's the difference?
sprinkle | tinkle |
(lb) To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).
:
*(Bible), (w) xiv. 16
*:And the priest shallsprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.
*
*:At twilight in the summeron the floor.
(lb) To cover (an object) by sprinkling a substance on to it.
:
*2005 , Justus Roux, Who's Your Daddy? , page 66:
*:Most of the passengers watched from the enclosed promenade deck, but Sandra found her way to the higher, open promenade where she shivered and watched the city lights fade and the stars sprinkle themselves across a dark blue velvet sky.
(lb) To drip in fine drops, sometimes sporadically.
:
(lb) To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.
*(Bible), (w) x. 22
*:having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience
A light covering with a sprinkled substance.
A light rain shower.
To make light metallic sounds, rather like a very small bell.
* Dodsley
(intransitive, informal, juvenile) To urinate.
To cause to tinkle.
To indicate, signal, etc. by tinkling.
To hear, or resound with, a small, sharp sound.
* Dryden
A light metallic sound, resembling the tinkling of bells or wind chimes.
* 1994 , (Stephen Fry), (The Hippopotamus) , ch. 2:
(UK, informal) A telephone call.
(informal, euphemism) An act of urination.
As verbs the difference between sprinkle and tinkle
is that sprinkle is (lb) to cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance) while tinkle is to make light metallic sounds, rather like a very small bell.As nouns the difference between sprinkle and tinkle
is that sprinkle is a light covering with a sprinkled substance while tinkle is a light metallic sound, resembling the tinkling of bells or wind chimes.sprinkle
English
Verb
(sprinkl)Quotations
* 1893 , Edward F. Bigelow (editor and publisher), The Observer: a Medium of Interchange of Observations for all Students and Lovers of Nature , volume IV, number 4, page 114: *: There is no more beautiful object in the still and shady aisles of the wood than a great patch of the deep green hairy cap moss studded and starred by these little roses that are often scattered over it as thickly as the stars sprinkle the sky. * April 26th, 1899', ''Memorial Day Oration'' of General P. McGlashan, printed in '''1902 in ''Addresses delivered before the Confederate Veterans Association of Savannah by that association: *: As I laid him back on the litter he threw out his arms and clasped me around my neck, drew me towards him and kissed me, saying: "Colonel, I love you." [...] Unnumbered instances like this might be recounted did the time permit it. They sprinkle the whole four years as the stars sprinkle the sky. * 2010 , Donald E. MacKay, Love Is Stronger Than Death , page 91: *: [...] she will remember his words and gaze at the stars. One dark night when the stars sprinkle the heavens, she would call out to the stars and ask the same questions her benefactor had asked; perhaps she will be favored with answers.Derived terms
* sprinklerNoun
(en noun)- He decorated the Christmas card with a sprinkle of glitter.
Synonyms
* (light covering with a sprinkled substance) sprinklingDerived terms
* sugar sprinklestinkle
English
Verb
(tinkl)- The glasses tinkled together as they were placed on the table.
- The sprightly horse / Moves to the music of his tinkling bells.
- The butler tinkled dinner.
- And his ears tinkled , and the colour fled.
Noun
(en noun)- At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. . . . There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.
- Give me a tinkle when you arrive.