Link Centre Dictionary

dinky

UK/ˈdɪŋki/ US/ˈdɪŋki/ uncommon informal slang uk us
noun (1) adjective (2)

noun

1.

a small locomotive

Synonyms

adjective

1.

small and insignificant

  • “we stayed in a dinky old hotel”
Similar
2.

(British informal) pretty and neat

  • “what a dinky little hat”
Similar

Origin

1780-90; compare Scots dink (“neatly dressed, trim”) (of obscure origin); sense shift perhaps: trim > dainty > small > insignificant; + -y.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.