Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of small size or consequence; insignificant.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Small and neat; trim; tidy; nice.
- Small but pretentious; small and insignificant.
- noun Something small or insignificant.
- noun An apparatus of smaller size than the usual standard, as a pony- or donkey-engine for doing work which requires small horse-power.
- noun A pair of wheels on an axle used to carry the weight of a beam or pole in erecting structures or wire lines. The axle is usually curved upward in the middle, with a lever affixed, so that the weight can first be raised off the ground, in a sling, and then wheeled to the desired point.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective informal small and insignificant; shabby or unimpressive.
- adjective British informal pretty and neat; fashionable or well-dressed.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective informal, UK
Tiny andcute ;small andattractive . - adjective informal, US
Tiny andinsignificant ;small andundesirable . - initialism Double income, no kids yet. Said of a relationship.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective small and insignificant
- noun a small locomotive
- adjective (British informal) pretty and neat
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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But the advantage now of having all of those proposals that maybe were sometimes described as being "dinky" -- (laughter) -- is that they now add up to some serious work that we can put before the Congress in the form of legislative proposals.
Press Briefing By Mike Mccurry ITY National Archives 1996
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I suspect that the reason wards are 'dinky' in Boise and not very large around here is precisely because of density.
Mysterious Dirty Tricks Mailer Reminds South Carolinians About Romney's Mormonism 2009
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I thought the fireplace was kind of dinky and squishy-looking.
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He still calls his own his "dinky" and insists that Nate's be called a dinky or dink too.
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Here, the car-designed by set designer John Arnone-is some kind of dinky cartoon version, like a covered golf cart.
Penis Jokes Fly Fast, Furious but The Full Monty is Flaccid 2000
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A derrick operating a clam-shell unloaded the sand and gravel into a small hopper, discharging into dump cars operated by a "dinky" up an incline, passing over sand and gravel storage bins.
Concrete Construction Methods and Costs Halbert Powers Gillette
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Puffing on the single-gauge track was a "dinky" engine, coupled to a flat car.
Still Jim Honor�� Morrow 1910
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Telephone and telegraph wires run through the trenches and even railroad tracks are laid so that small engines go whirring through the ditches like "dinky" locomotives in a coal mine.
Kelly Miller's History of the World War for Human Rights Kelly Miller 1901
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Several white players were upset that Brown and two other black players - Dick Lane, known as Night Train, and Danny Lewis - had to stay in a "dinky" hotel away from their teammates.
NYT > Home Page By RICHARD SANDOMIR 2011
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Several white players were upset that Brown and two other black players - Dick Lane, known as Night Train, and Danny Lewis - had to stay in a "dinky" hotel away from their teammates.
NYT > Home Page By RICHARD SANDOMIR 2011
brtom commented on the word dinky
"She had four dinky sets, with awfully pretty stitchery, three garments and nighties extra, and each set slotted with different coloured ribbons ..."
Joyce, Ulysses, 13
January 14, 2007
sonofgroucho commented on the word dinky
Is also an acronym for double income no kids yet. This is a term used to describe those who defer parenthood, usually for financial reasons.
December 9, 2007
reesetee commented on the word dinky
Nickname for the Ruddy Duck.
April 24, 2009
chained_bear commented on the word dinky
And for my dog...
April 24, 2009