Definition of "winky"

Dickens aficionados will delight in winky references to his novels, as well as to his biography: Jenny Wren of “Our Mutual Friend” lends a nickname to Miss Ricketts; Alfred’s brother’s name is Sydney (as in Carton); and the One and Only’s death has left a “Drood”-like novel unfinished, occasioning wild speculation about its conclusion.

2009 July 12, Susann Cokal, “Bleak Housekeeping”, in New York Times‎

‘Yeah, but I put a winky smiley face on it. Did you not see?’ ‘That was a sad smiley face, you total fucking moron. […] ’

2007, Stephen J. Martin, Rock and a Hard Place, Mercier Press Ltd, page 276

He had included a winky face in his previous response. You don't haphazardly throw a winky face around like it's a thumbs-up or praise hands.

2018, Lincee Ray, Why I Hate Green Beans […] ‎, Baker Books

I send a winky face emoji right after this, so he knows I am just teasing him.

2021, Theresa Leigh, Cluck Buddies: A Friends With Benefits Romance‎, LuxLife Publishing

Crap, he sent a winky back. That was not good. Mixed signals were a bad way to start any kind of beginning, whether it was love or friendship.

2015, Mara Reitsma, Amethyst Attraction, Lulu.com, page 113

“They never shower with us,” says Shipley, glancing up from his calculator. “I’ve never even seen their winkies.”

1982, Robert Lipsyte, Inside Sports, page 71

She had seen him naked many times and that was how he was. But this! His winky was — well, enormous now. And standing up. And looked positively gigantic and very stiff and proud!

1984, Frederic Young, Many Ingenious Lovely Things, page 23

‘And like when I went to the toilet last week and caught my winky in my zip. I cried for ages then.’ ‘Wogan!' gasped Flora. 'What is wrong with you?’ […] ‘“Winky”? That's a very babyish name for it. It's called your “dangly-wangly”.’

2020, Sam Copeland, Charlie Morphs Into a Mammoth‎, Penguin

Next, on with his favourite budgie smugglers. His sequined posing pouch. No winky shrinkage for him.

2023 April 21, John Crace, “Psycho goes down raging: the liberal wokerati finally get to Raab”, in The Guardian‎