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winker

winker

9.9
A piece of leather or plastic put beside a horse's eye to stop it seeing to the side
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪŋkər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : parpadero
  • The jockey made sure the horse’s winkers were secure before heading to the starting gate.

Examples

  • The horse wore a winker on each side.

  • The winker on the left side was slightly loose and needed adjustment.

  • Some trainers believe that fitting winkers helps nervous horses focus straight ahead during a race.

  • I need to buy some new winkers for my horse.

  • The horses wore winkers to help them focus during the race.

  • To minimize distractions, the trainer put winkers on the horse's bridle.

  • Using winkers can improve a horse's performance by narrowing its field of vision.

Synonyms

blinder
vswinker
3 8.4

A piece of leather on a horse's harness that keeps it from seeing to the side

is attached beside each eye on bridle or halter to restrict peripheral sight
blinker
vswinker
2 7.0

A leather flap on a horse's bridle that stops it from seeing to the side

is fixed beside each eye to block peripheral vision

Surface Forms

winker singular
winkers plural

Morphology

winker = wink (semi-transparent) = wink + er

Formally wink + -er is clear, but the specific equestrian meaning 'a leather/plastic eye-covering' is specialized and may not be obvious to learners from the base alone.

Etymology

Winker comes from the simple verb wink, which means 'to close one eye'. A horse's winker is a small leather or plastic piece placed by the eye to block side vision so the horse keeps looking straight ahead.