What does winker mean?
Winker is a noun with several related meanings. In modern British English, its most familiar use is for a small flashing lamp on a vehicle that indicates a change of direction; in North American English, the usual term for this device is “turn signal.” Older and more literary senses refer to a person who winks or to an eye that blinks or winks. These meanings share the word's association with the rapid movement of an eyelid. Although the personal sense can sound playful or mildly old-fashioned, “winker” remains practical and familiar in British automotive vocabulary. The word is easily confused with “wink”: a wink is the gesture itself, while a winker is the person performing it or, in another established use, the vehicle light. Together, the senses give the word both a human and a mechanical association with blinking.
nounA person who winks, an eye that winks, or, chiefly in British English, a flashing indicator light on a vehicle.
- Chiefly British: a flashing indicator light on the side of a vehicle.
- An eye that winks or blinks.
- A person who winks.
"The cyclist's left winker flickered as she turned into the narrow lane."
"The cyclist's left winker flickered as she turned into the narrow lane."
"As a practical joker, he was an expert winker."
The standard plural is used for multiple people, eyes, or vehicle indicator lights.
"The old car's front winkers had been repaired, but the rear ones still worked."
In Britain, a car's winker does exactly what its name promises: it blinks.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does winker come from?
Winker was formed in Middle English by adding the agent suffix -er to wink. Wink descends from Old English wincian, meaning “to blink” or “close the eyes,” and is cognate with Scots wink and related forms such as German winken and Dutch winken. The vehicle-light sense developed much later by extending the idea of blinking or flashing to an indicator lamp.
How winker is actually used
The personal sense is relatively uncommon in contemporary usage. The vehicle-indicator sense is especially associated with British English, where “indicator” or “turn signal” is also widely used; in North American English, “turn signal” is the usual term.
Easily confused with winker
A wink is the quick closing and reopening of an eye, whereas a winker is a person who does so or, in automotive use, the indicator lamp itself.