Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To adorn (oneself) in a showy manner.
  • intransitive verb To dress or groom oneself with elaborate care or vanity; primp.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To prank; dress for show; adorn one's self.
  • To strut; put on pompous airs; be pretentious or forward.
  • To deck; adorn; dress ostentatiously or fantastically.
  • To look; gaze.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To prank or dress up; to deck fantastically.
  • intransitive verb To dress or adjust one's self for show; to prank.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun the act of prinking
  • verb to look, gaze
  • verb to dress finely, primp
  • verb to strut, put on pompous airs, be pretentious
  • verb to give a wink; to wink.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb dress very carefully and in a finicky manner
  • verb put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably alteration of prank.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Perhaps alteration (due to primp) of prank ("to deck, adorn"), from Middle English pranken ("to trim"), or from Middle Dutch prinken ("to deck for show, parade in fine apparel"). Cognate with Dutch pronken ("to flaunt"), German Prunk ("a show, parade, splendour"), Danish and Swedish prunk.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English prinken ("to wink, signal with the eye"), from prinke, prinche ("a wink, twinkling of the eye, momentary gesture"), from Old English princ ("a wink"). More at pry.

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Examples

  • I used to refill with "prink" ink the cartridges of an old model of HP inkget.

    LinuxQuestions.org 2009

  • The printer died and the new HP Deskjet 4200 does not like the B&W cartridge (model 350) to be refilled with "prink" products.

    LinuxQuestions.org 2009

  • High ice crystals prink its blue like a snowfield.

    A Year on the Wing TIM DEE 2009

  • Banquet spreads did not, later, bring her to the prink of what would become her preferred habit, binge and purge.

    How Did I Let This Happen? 2008

  • With guerillaman aspear aspoor to prink the pranks of primkissies.

    Finnegans Wake 2006

  • Saturday was breakfast and more chat until car-picking up and the eventual drive back to Oxford -- arrived in plenty of time to shower and prink / preen before the Kellogg College formal hall.

    Stuff and more stuff jinty 2006

  • You heard the Postmaster was here and so you must prink and prim yourself in front of the mirror — look on this side and that side and all around.

    The Inspector-General 2003

  • Some -- a reporter who covered elections told us he saw one prink -- precinct captain pull down the lever 70 different -- 70 times at the start of the day.

    American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley 2000

  • And Polly ran into her own room, to prink also, fearing that her friend might be ashamed of her plain costume.

    An Old-Fashioned Girl 1950

  • The friends had a social "cup o 'tea" upstairs, which Polly considered the height of luxury, and then each took a mirror and proceeded to prink to her heart's content.

    An Old-Fashioned Girl 1950

Comments

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  • *to dress very carefully and in a finicky manner

    * to dress up: put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive

    October 31, 2007

  • Not to be confused with pronk, of course. Unless you're a springbok with a penchant for fancy clothing. ;-)

    November 1, 2007

  • Nigella: "I don't go in for prinking"

    August 7, 2010