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to pink

to pink

1 8.6
To cut the edge of fabric in a zigzag to stop it fraying
  • verb
  • /pɪŋk/
  • Specialized
: cortar en zigzag
  • The top one has a zigzag stitch, the second one is straight stitched with a pinked edge, and the third is straight stitched on a straight cut.
  • to pink with shears

Examples

  • I don't have any use for pinking paper, so I don't have any of those.

  • I'm going to go pink cone with confetti and cake batter.

  • Oh God, I just couldn't even pink on my white carpet.

  • So this gloss pinked it up a little bit more, but these are so soft, so comfortable on the lips.

  • Pinking shears.

  • She decided to pink the fabric edges to prevent them from fraying.

  • Using her new pink shears, she expertly cut the cloth into a zigzag pattern.

  • Before sewing the quilt, he always remembers to pink the seams for a neater finish.

Idioms

tickled pink
  • Informal
5 6.3

Feeling very pleased and happy

1 5.8

Being very healthy and full of energy

to tickle pink
  • Informal
1 6.3

Feel very happy and amused by something someone does

Compounds

12 4.0

A written notice telling a worker they have lost their job

A sweet pink drink made from lemon juice, sugar, and water

pink elephants
  • Informal
1 9.9

Imaginary animals people see when they are very drunk

1 3.1

A pale pink drink made from red grapes with their skins taken off early

pink slime
  • Literature
1 8.0

A meat filler made from small pieces of beef mixed into ground beef

1 2.8

A light pink color with a little orange in it

1 1.8

Having a strong, dark shade of pink

pink-slipped
  • Informal
1 8.1

No longer working at a job because the company laid you off

1 1.3

A pink color that looks a little red

pink-collar
  • Jargon
1 6.6

Relating to jobs often done by women, like nursing or teaching

1 3.5

A plant part that has a pink tip, for example leaves or flower petals

1 3.5

A thing that has a small amount of pink in its color

1 4.2

A light pink color mixed with gray

1 3.1

A very light pink color that is almost white

pink bollworm
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A small caterpillar that eats seeds inside cotton bolls and damages cotton plants

A pale pink colour often used for paint, clothes, and makeup

1 3.4

A bright pink color with a purple tone

1 3.6

A soft pink colour mixed with grey

A light pink colour that looks slightly purple

cottage pink
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A small garden plant with a strong sweet smell and pink or rosy flowers

A small garden flower with bright, jagged-edged pink petals

1 2.1

A color between pink and orange

1 3.5

A light pink color with a slight purple tint

A bright pink color with a touch of purple

1 3.6

A light pink color with a slight purple tint

1 9.1

A garden flower with many petals and a spicy clove smell

1 9.1

A small low plant with pale pink flowers and dark centers

pink cockatoo
  • Australian
1 7.7

A medium bird from Australia with pink and grey feathers and a crest

A light color between pink and yellow

A light purple color with a soft pink tint

1 9.9

A small wildflower with bright red notched petals that grows each year in eastern North America

1 6.5

A low plant with pink or white flowers that spreads to cover the ground

1 8.3

A garden flower with a strong sweet smell and pink blooms

pink disease
  • Indian
1 9.6

A serious fungus that forms a pink cover on the bark of coffee or citrus trees

1 2.2

A purple color with a little pink

1 8.1

A small garden flower with toothed pink petals often grown as an annual

sea pink
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A low plant with pink or purple flowers that grows on coasts and rocky hills

1 6.1

A wild plant with pink or white flowers that grows in North America

1 9.3

A low garden plant that lives for many years and has fragrant pink or red flowers

1 8.8

A small plant with pink or lilac flowers that have a lacy edge and a light scent

1 9.7

A plant with pink flowers that grows in wet marshes

1 5.5

A small garden plant with bright, often sweet smelling flowers

1 8.2

A garden plant with bright red or white flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies

1 3.3

A pale pink color with a little purple

A garden plant that grows every year with many small round pink flowers

A pale warm pink colour for walls or clothes

A garden plant with soft white leaves and bright red flowers

grass pink
  • Specialized
9.5

A wild orchid with pink flowers that grows in wet meadows and bogs

9.9

A low wild plant with thin stems and pink flowers with frilly edges

9.9

A plant from Europe with pink or white flowers whose leaves make soap when crushed

A small garden flower with frilled rose-coloured petals often grown for one season

9.5

A small plant with pink flowers that grows on rocky slopes in the western United States

8.7

A marsh plant with bright pink flowers that attracts insects

A lily with a pink flower grown for decoration in gardens

pink disease fungus
  • Australian
9.5

A fungus that causes pink disease in plants like citrus, coffee, and rubber trees

A group of flowering plants like carnations with thick stem joints

A low plant with clusters of deep pink or white flowers that grows on sandy areas near the sea

9.9

A tropical tree that has groups of pink flowers and is grown for decoration

A tree from warm places with upright groups of pink flowers grown for decoration

A sweet light pink drink often served cold

pink water
  • Specialized
9.0

Dirty water from meat or chicken factories that is pink and needs treatment

pink fivecorner
  • Australian
9.9

A small bush from southwest Australia with scented leaves and pink flowers followed by five-sided fruit

A California plant with pink bell-shaped flowers that hang down

6.7

A sweet pink cocktail made with gin, brandy, and grenadine

pink paper daisy
  • Australian
8.6

A plant with bright pink, papery flowers like small daisies often used dried for decoration

Water in a lake or pond that looks pink from tiny algae

A plant with bright pink and white daisy-like flowers that keep their colour when dried

9.6

False news on websites made to look real to attract readers

Surface Forms

pink infinitive
pinked past
pinked past participle
pinking present participle
pinks third person singular

Etymology

Pink: To pink fabric comes from the scissors called pinking shears that cut a zigzag edge to stop cloth from fraying, a name that links back to the flower's frilled petals. So when you pink a seam, you make that decorative, fray-resistant edge.