pinky

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɪŋki/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪŋki

Etymology 1

From pink +‎ -y.

Adjective

pinky (comparative pinkier, superlative pinkiest)

1. Pinkish.
   • 1871, Edward Lear, The Jumblies

     In a pinky paper all folded neat,

     And they fastened it down with a pin.

Noun

pinky (countable and uncountable, plural pinkies)

1. (uncountable, historical, slang, Australia) Methylated spirits mixed with red wine or Condy's crystals.
   • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage 2007, p. 262:

     “Here,” Nigel greeted him, “do try a spot of ‘pinky,’ it's ever so much fun, really.”

2. A baby mouse, especially when used as food for a snake, etc.
3. (offensive, slang, ethnic slur) A white person.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:white person

4. (Australia, informal) The Australasian snapper or pink snapper (Chrysophrys auratus).
   • 2001 May 3, Lindsay Vincent, “Re: snapper fishing in Victoria”, in aus.sport.fishing, Usenet‎^[1]:

     You may get some pinkies around the Black Rock area, but the snapper *run* is normally from late October to mid January, although it sounds like the odd adult fish is still lurking..

5. (historical) A kind of fishing schooner of New England.

Translations

slang: methylated spirits

• Finnish: tenttu (fi), tenu (fi)

baby mouse

• Esperanto: musido
• Finnish: pinkki (fi)
• German: neugeborene Maus f

Picture dictionary

palm

wrist

thumb

index finger

middle finger

ring finger

pinky

(little finger)

Click on labels in the image

Etymology 2

From Dutch pinkje, diminutive of Dutch pink (“little finger”). Cognate with West Frisian pinke (“pinky”), dialectal English pink (“something small or tiny”), and perhaps to Old English pinca (“a point”). Compare also German Low German Pink (“penis”), English pintle (“penis”).

Noun

pinky (plural pinkies)

1. (US, Canada, Scotland, Australia, informal) The smallest finger or toe of a hand or foot.
   • 2003, Billoo Badhshah, The Unofficial Joke Book of Australia, page 126,

     Everyday ^[sic] as he passes them, the hookers wave at him with their pinkies and say, “Hi there, little boy!”

Alternative forms

• pinkie

Synonyms

• (smallest finger or toe): little finger, pinky finger, pinky toe, little pinky, little piggy, digit V, fifth digit

Derived terms

• pinky break, pinky ring, pinky swear/pinky-swear, pinky promise/pinky-promise

Translations

little finger — see little finger

Etymology 3

pink +‎ -y, from pink (“to wink”).

Adjective

pinky (comparative pinkier, superlative pinkiest)

1. winking

See also

• pinky on Wikipedia.Wikipedia