inkle

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɪŋkl̩/
  • Rhymes: -ɪŋkəl

Etymology 1

From Middle English inklen, inclen (to give an inkling of, hint at, mention, utter in an undertone), derived from inke (apprehension, misgiving), from Old English inca (doubt, suspicion), from Proto-West Germanic *inkō, from Proto-Germanic *inkô (ache, regret), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eng- (illness). Cognate with Old Frisian jinc (angered), Old Norse ekki (pain, grief), Norwegian ekkje (lack, pity).

Verb

inkle (third-person singular simple present inkles, present participle inkling, simple past and past participle inkled)

  1. (transitive, rare) To hint at; disclose.
  2. (transitive, rare) To have a hint or inkling of; divine.
Synonyms

Etymology 2

Apparently from earlier *ingle, perhaps from an incorrect division of lingle, lingel.

Alternative forms

Noun

inkle (countable and uncountable, plural inkles)

  1. Narrow linen tape, used for trimmings or to make shoelaces
    • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:
      COSTARD - '… What's the price of this inkle?'

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