What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Wink vs Swink - What's the difference?

wink | swink |

In archaic intransitive terms the difference between wink and swink

is that wink is to turn a blind eye while swink is to labour, to work hard.

As verbs the difference between wink and swink

is that wink is to close one's eyes while swink is to labour, to work hard.

As nouns the difference between wink and swink

is that wink is an act of winking (a blinking of only one eye), or a message sent by winking while swink is toil, work, drudgery.

wink

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (obsolete) To close one's eyes.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I will wink , so shall the day seem night.
  • * Tillotson
    • They are not blind, but they wink .
  • (archaic) To turn a blind eye.
  • *, New York Review of Books, 2001, p.51:
    • Some trot about to bear false witness, and say anything for money; and though judges know of it, yet for a bribe they wink at it, and suffer false contracts to prevail against equity.
  • * Herbert
    • And yet, as though he knew it not, / His knowledge winks , and lets his humours reign.
  • * John Locke
    • Obstinacy can not be winked at, but must be subdued.
  • (intransitive) To blink with only one eye as a message, signal, or suggestion.
    • He winked at me.
    She winked her eye.
  • To twinkle.
  • To be dim and flicker.
    • The light winks .
  • To send an indication of agreement by winking.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act of winking (a blinking of only one eye), or a message sent by winking.
  • A brief time; an instant.
  • A brief period of sleep; especially forty winks.
  • * 1919 ,
    • I couldn't bear to leave him where he is. I shouldn't sleep a wink for thinking of him.
  • A disc used in the game of tiddlywinks.

    • Derived terms

    * nudge nudge wink wink * wink murder

    swink

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) swink, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) toil, work, drudgery
  • * 1963 , , Inside Mr. Enderby :
    • Dead on this homecoming cue Jack came home, his hands sheerfree of salesman’s swink , ready for Enderby.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) swinken, from (etyl) . Related to (l).

    Verb

  • (archaic) to labour, to work hard
  • * 14th century ,
    • Heremites on an heep · with hoked staues,
    Wenten to Walsyngham · and here wenches after;
    Grete lobyes and longe · that loth were to swynke,
    Clotheden hem in copis · to be knowen fram othere;
    And shopen hem heremites · here ese to haue.
  • * Spenser
    • for which men swink and sweat incessantly
  • * 1922 , :
    • And on this board were frightful swords and knives that are made in a great cavern by swinking demons out of white flames that they fix in the horns of buffalos and stags that there abound marvellously.
  • (archaic) To cause to toil or drudge; to tire or exhaust with labor.
  • * Milton
    • And the swinked hedger at his supper sat.
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    References

    * http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=swink * http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?sourceid=Mozilla-search&va=swink

    Anagrams

    *