plink

English

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /plɪŋk/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪŋk

Noun

plink (plural plinks)

1. A short, high-pitched metallic or percussive sound.

Verb

plink (third-person singular simple present plinks, present participle plinking, simple past and past participle plinked)

1. To make a plink sound.
2. (with "out") (colloquial) To play a song or a portion of a song, usually on a percussion instrument such as a piano.
   • 1971, Louis C. Reichman, Barry J. Wishart, American Politics and Its Interpreters:

     He can plink out Let Me Call You Sweetheart for reporters on a piano or rib himself on television talk shows […]

   • 1997, Kevin Osborn, Signe Larson, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bringing Up Baby:

     Your child may also begin to plink out a few notes on a xylophone or toy piano before her first birthday.

   • 2004, Angela Elwell Hunt, The Truth Teller:

     The female deputy sat down at the ramshackle piano and proceeded to plink out the opening notes of "Heart and Soul."

3. (firearms) To take part in the sport of plinking.
   • 1992, Ken Warner, Gun Digest, 1993, page 19:

     We plinked all week long in the slow-moving days between hunting seasons. Life Savers or Necco Wafers at 25 yards offhand, or 50 yards prone, and vanilla wafers offhand at 50 yards or prone at 100, were challenging targets.

Derived terms

• plinking