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Meaning of "pilliwinks" in the English dictionary

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DICTIONARY
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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD PILLIWINKS

Of uncertain origin.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF PILLIWINKS

pilliwinks  [ˈpɪlɪˌwɪŋks] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PILLIWINKS

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Pilliwinks is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES PILLIWINKS MEAN IN ENGLISH?

pilliwinks

Thumbscrew (torture)

The Thumbscrew or pillywinks is a torture instrument which was first used in medieval Europe. It is a simple vice, sometimes with protruding studs on the interior surfaces. The victim's thumbs or fingers were placed in the vice and slowly crushed. The thumbscrew was also applied to crush prisoners' big toes. The crushing bars were sometimes lined with sharp metal points to puncture the thumbs and inflict greater pain in the nail beds. Larger, heavier devices based on the same design principle were applied to crush feet and ears.

Definition of pilliwinks in the English dictionary

The definition of pilliwinks in the dictionary is a medieval instrument of torture for the fingers and thumbs.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH PILLIWINKS


blinks
blɪŋks
drinks
drɪŋks
hijinks
ˈhaɪˌdʒɪŋks
hypopharynx
ˌhaɪpəʊˈfærɪŋks
jinks
dʒɪŋks
jinx
dʒɪŋks
jynx
dʒɪŋks
larynx
ˈlærɪŋks
Lincs
lɪŋks
links
lɪŋks
lynx
lɪŋks
methinks
mɪˈθɪŋks
minx
mɪŋks
nasopharynx
ˌneɪzəʊˈfærɪŋks
oropharynx
ˌɔːrəʊˈfærɪŋks
pharynx
ˈfærɪŋks
sphinx
sfɪŋks
Sphynx
sfɪŋks
syrinx
ˈsɪrɪŋks
tiddlywinks
ˈtɪdlɪˌwɪŋks

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE PILLIWINKS

pillarless
Pillars of Hercules
pillbox
pilled
pillhead
pillicock
pillie
pillion
pillion passenger
pillionist
pillock
pilloried
pillories
pillorize
pillory
pillow
pillow block
pillow fight
pillow lace
pillow lava

WORDS THAT END LIKE PILLIWINKS

Banks
break ranks
close ranks
Fairbanks
forty winks
golf links
Grand Banks
Hanks
high jinks
hunks
hunting pinks
lower ranks
other ranks
ranks
return thanks
swimming trunks
thanks
trunks
vote of thanks
yonks

Synonyms and antonyms of pilliwinks in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «pilliwinks» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF PILLIWINKS

Find out the translation of pilliwinks to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of pilliwinks from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «pilliwinks» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

pilliwinks
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

pilliwinks
570 millions of speakers

English

pilliwinks
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

pilliwinks
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

pilliwinks
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

pilliwinks
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

pilliwinks
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

pilliwinks
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

pilliwinks
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Pilliwinks
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

pilliwinks
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

pilliwinks
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

pilliwinks
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Pilliwinks
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

pilliwinks
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

pilliwinks
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

गोळीबार
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

pilliwinks
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

pilliwinks
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

pilliwinks
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

pilliwinks
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

pilliwinks
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

pilliwinks
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

pilliwinks
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

pilliwinks
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

pilliwinks
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of pilliwinks

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «PILLIWINKS»

The term «pilliwinks» is barely ever used and occupies the 203.836 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Unused
5
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «pilliwinks» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of pilliwinks
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «pilliwinks».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «PILLIWINKS» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «pilliwinks» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «pilliwinks» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about pilliwinks

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PILLIWINKS»

Discover the use of pilliwinks in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to pilliwinks and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Where a Dobdob Meets a Dikdik: A Word Lover's Guide to the ...
Guards,. screw. that. Pilliwinks. on! Pilliwinks sounds like a word that virginal maidens half-clad in gauzy raiment and skipping through fields of fragrant posies might coo to some flitting lark. But pilliwinks is a brutal cellmate of words such as  ...
Bill Casselman, 2010
2
THE WITCH OF BALINTORE
And the pilliwinks?' Kenneth has been locking the man's wrists and neck into a kind of pillory, one of a row of three which stand beside a rack and directly beneath a large crucifix. Now he applies the pilliwinks to the fifth finger, the pinkie , of first ...
James Munro, 2014
3
The Oxford Book of Children's Verse in America
(A Tale of the Pilliwinks} Oh, the Pilliwinks lived by the portals of Loo, In the land of the Pullicum-wees, Where gingerbread soldiers and elephants grew On the top of the cooky-nut trees. And the Pilliwinks gazed at them, wondering how They  ...
Donald Hall, 1990
4
Sir George Mackenzie
4 He adds that the thumbscrews are "used among our colliers in Scotland, and called the Pilliwinks." Miners were slaves at that time, and punished, like witches, by torture ; such was >the level .of humanity in Scotland. Carstares was subjected  ...
Andrew Lang, 2005
5
The Winged Foot
In the early davs, The Setting-up Class members called themselves "Pilliwinks." Where that moiv'ker originated no one today seems to know. Certain it is that Pilliwinks, or just plain exercisers, all have learned the truths of Dr. Thorburn's ...
‎1944
6
Conies in the Hay
... you must spend tedious hours at the peephole into his cell, and survey him when he is private; and then – ” The hateful laugh jangled Mr Secretary's nerves. “It was my little Pilliwinks which broke Master Simpson, my simple little Pilliwinks,”  ...
Jane Lane, 2001
7
I Battled a Giant Otter: My Gut Bustin', Mutha Lovin' Life ...
Ack. Urg. Ug. <Poufy impact sound of head hitting pillow.> If I combined and shortened the phrases 'ololinqual olisbos' and 'honeyfun— gal pilliwinks' into olofi1ngapillibos.. .. Mmm, not there yet. I collect “Cinderella” stamps. No, these are not ...
Zanzibar McFate, 2008
8
St. Nicholas
(A Tale of the Pilliwinks.) By Albert Bigelow Paine. Oh, the Pilliwinks lived by the portals of Loo, In the land of the Pullicum-wees, Where gingerbread soldiers and elephants grew On the top of the cooky-nut trees. And the Pilliwinks gazed at ...
Mary Mapes Dodge, 1897
9
Saint Nicholas
(A Tale qf Ill: Pilliwinks.) BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE. OH, the Pilliwinks lived by the portals of Loo, In the land of the Pullicum-wees, Where gingerbread soldiers and elephants grew On the top of the cooky-nut trees. And the Pilliwinks gazed ...
‎1897
10
Punch
PILLIWINKS. -eddy London Wl Enables and Bcservalcoos London 01-995 134a or. Below is the Report by a Roving Adjudicator on the competition held by PRACTICAL ANTIQUES AND CONVERTIBLE BYGONES (incorporating RECYCLED ...
Henry Mayhew, Mark Lemon, Tom Taylor, 1975

4 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PILLIWINKS»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term pilliwinks is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Photo of the week: Dead River Derby
This one shows Dead River Derby players Whip Her Willa, A-ROAR-A, Pepper Pilliwinks and Twisted Skipper holding a Kingsford Krush ... «Upper Peninsula Second Wave, May 14»
2
The Dirty Strikes will release first music video "Good Damaged Girl"
Organized and managed by Club Muzik the event will feature Rubicons, The Wishess and Pilliwinks on the list of bands to endorse and ... «E-Pao.net, Aug 12»
3
Peggy Lampman's Friday dinnerFeed: Oyster Stew
As I'm fond of saying, our family would prefer subjecting our thumbs to pilliwinks,than not have oyster stew on Christmas morning. Sausage ... «AnnArbor.com, Dec 10»
4
Peggy Lamman's Friday dinnerFeed: Oyster stew
Our family is a superstitious lot and would rather subject our thumbs to a pilliwinks than not eat Oyster Stew on Christmas morning; bad luck ... «AnnArbor.com, Dec 09»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Pilliwinks [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/pilliwinks>. May 2024 ».
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