blinks
/blɪŋks
/(also water blinks)
plural noun [usually treated as singular]
A small fleshy plant with tiny white flowers, which grows in damp and wet habitats in temperate regions. The leaves are sometimes eaten in salads.
- Montia fontana, family Portulacaceae.
- Photograph and information on this species, commonly known as Blinks, found in damp places.
- Blinks is so called because its tiny greenish-white flowers rarely open fully, fancifully as if they were reluctant to face the sun.
Origin
Late 17th century: from blink in the sense 'momentary gleam of light' (referring to the small flowers).
- painted lady
- painted longspur
- painted partridge
- painted quail
- painted ray
- painted snipe
- painted terrapin
- painted top
- painted tortoise
- painted trillium
- painted turtle
- painted vulture
- painted woman
- painter
- painterish
- painter-like
- painterliness
- painterly
- painter's brush
- painters' brush
- painter's colic
- painters' colic
- painter's mussel
- painters' mussel
- painter-stainer