From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtinkletin‧kle1 /ˈtɪŋkəl/ noun [countable usually singular] 1 CSa light ringing soundtinkle of the distant tinkle of a cow-bell► see thesaurus at sound2 → give somebody a tinkle3 → have a tinkle
Examples from the Corpus
tinkle• She could not utter a sentence for giving a tinkle of value to some innocent word.• Hop on over to the end of the road and give her a tinkle.• A constant clash and tinkle came from the kitchens across the courtyard, like the percussion section of an orchestra from hell.• The crashing seemed to go on for ever as tiny broken fragments bounced with a dainty tinkle across the brick floor.• Only the eerie tinkle of leg irons and shouted commands break the silence.• As we rounded the lake's southern edge and moved up to the eastern shore, a faint tinkle filled the air.• There was a bell beside the gate, and Dorothy pushed the button and heard a silvery tinkle sound within.• The last thing Ardamal heard as he raced down the corridor was the tinkle of metal parts hitting the floor.• the tinkle of glass and chinatinkle of• the tinkle of Christmas bellstinkletinkle2 verb 1 CS[intransitive, transitive] to make light ringing sounds, or to make something do this a tinkling bell2 [intransitive] spoken to urinate (=pass water from your body) – used especially by children or when talking to children Do you have to go tinkle?→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
tinkle• The ring fell from her hands and went tinkling across the floor.• It tinkled, an old-world merriness.• Bells tinkled as she opened the door.• The Monsignor tensed with the sound of flatware clanking and tinkling in the kitchen.• I rang the bell and heard it tinkle inside.• There was a typewriter involved too and as the lift went up and down the typewriter's bell tinkled metallically.• The tinkling of busted glass, the sucking of his bottle.• From down the hall came the sound of tinkling silverware and the scrape of a chair being settled in its place.• Tabitha's headset suddenly locked into an ambient channel and began to tinkle with tinny salsa.Origin tinkle2 (1300-1400) tink “to tinkle” ((14-17 centuries)); from the sound 