Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 PHRASE If you say that you did not sleep a wink or did not get a wink of sleep , you mean that you tried to go to sleep but could not. [INFORMAL ] □  I didn't get a wink of sleep on the aeroplane.

win|kle /w I ŋk ^ə l/ (winkles , winkling , winkled ) N‑COUNT Winkles are small sea snails that can be eaten. [BRIT ] in AM, use periwinkles

▸  winkle out

1 PHRASAL VERB If you winkle information out of someone, you get it from them when they do not want to give it to you, often by tricking them. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] The security services will pretty well go to any lengths to winkle out information. □ [V n P + of ] The detective was trying to winkle information out of her. [Also V n P ]

2 PHRASAL VERB If you winkle someone out of a place where they are hiding or which they do not want to leave, you make them leave it. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n P + of ] He somehow managed to winkle Picard out of his room. □ [V n P ] Political pressure finally winkled him out and on to a plane bound for Berlin. □ [V P n] It will not be easy to winkle out the old guard and train younger replacements.

win|ner ◆◆◇ /w I nə ^r / (winners )

1 N‑COUNT The winner of a prize, race, or competition is the person, animal, or thing that wins it. □  She will present the trophies to the award winners. □  The winner was a horse called Last Town.

2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you say that something or someone is a winner , you mean that they are popular and successful, or that they are likely to be popular and successful. [INFORMAL ] □  They think the appeal is a winner. □  Selling was my game and I intended to be a winner.

win|ning ◆◇◇ /w I n I ŋ/

1 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use winning to describe a person or thing that wins something such as a competition, game, or election. □  …the leader of the winning party. □  Donovan scored the winning goal.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use winning to describe actions or qualities that please other people and make them feel friendly towards you. □  She gave him another of her winning smiles.

3 → see also win SYNONYMS winning ADJ 1

victorious:In 1978 he played for the victorious Argentinian side in the World Cup.

triumphant:Duncan and his triumphant soldiers celebrate their military victory.

successful:I am looking forward to a long and successful partnership with him.

win|nings /w I n I ŋz/ N‑PLURAL [oft poss N ] You can use winnings to refer to the money that someone wins in a competition or by gambling. □  I have come to collect my winnings.

win|now /w I noʊ/ (winnows , winnowing , winnowed ) VERB If you winnow a group of things or people, you reduce its size by separating the ones that are useful or relevant from the ones that are not. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] Administration officials have winnowed the list of candidates to three.

▸  winnow out PHRASAL VERB If you winnow out part of a group of things or people, you identify the part that is not useful or relevant and the part that is. [WRITTEN ] □ [V P n] The committee needs to winnow out the nonsense and produce more practical proposals. □ [V P n] Time has winnowed out certain of the essays as superior.

wino /wa I noʊ/ (winos ) N‑COUNT Some people refer to alcoholics, especially homeless ones, as winos . [INFORMAL ]

win|some /w I nsəm/ ADJ If you describe a person or their actions or behaviour as winsome , you mean that they are attractive and charming. □  She gave him her best winsome smile.

win|ter ◆◇◇ /w I ntə ^r / (winters , wintering , wintered )