Definition

1. Noun:

   • A pale red color: A light shade of red, often associated with flowers like roses or carnations.
   • A garden plant or its flower: Any of various plants of the genus Dianthus, such as carnations, cultivated for their fragrant, often pink flowers.
   • A person with mildly leftist political views: (Informal, often dated) A person holding moderately socialist or liberal political opinions.

2. Adjective:

   • Of a pale red color: Having the light shade of red known as pink.

3. Verb:

   • To cut with a zigzag edge: To cut fabric, paper, etc., with pinking shears to prevent fraying.
   • To make a light metallic knocking sound: (Of an internal combustion engine) to produce a knocking or pinging sound due to premature ignition of fuel.
   • To tap lightly: To make light, repeated tapping sounds.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Color):
  • She painted her room a soft pink.
• Noun (Flower):
  • The garden was full of beautiful pinks and roses.
• Adjective:
  • She wore a lovely pink dress to the party.
• Verb (To cut):
  • Pink the edges of the fabric before sewing.
• Verb (Engine sound):
  • The old car began to pink as we climbed the hill.
• Verb (To tap):
  • Rain pinked against the windowpane.

Advanced Usage

• In the pink: In very good health or condition.
  • After his vacation, he was in the pink.
• To see pink elephants: To hallucinate, typically from excessive drinking of alcohol.
  • After all that whiskey, he was seeing pink elephants.

Variants and Related Words

• Pinkish (adj): Somewhat pink.
  • The sky had a pinkish hue at sunset.
• Pinking shears (n): Scissors with a zigzag blade used for cutting fabric to prevent fraying.
  • Use pinking shears to finish the seam allowance.
• Pinko (n, informal, often derogatory): A person with left-wing or communist sympathies.
  • He was accused of being a pinko for his views.

Synonyms

• Rose (n/adj): For the color (a deeper or more specific pink).
• Carnation (n): For the flower (a specific type of pink).
• Leftist, liberal (n): For the political sense.
• Knock, ping (v): For the engine sound.
• Tap, pat (v): For the light tapping.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Pink out: (Archaic) To decorate with a perforated or scalloped pattern.
  • The invitation was pinked out along the border.
• Pink up: To become pink in color.
  • Her cheeks pinked up in the cold air.

Related Idioms

• Tickled pink: Extremely pleased or delighted.
  • She was tickled pink with her birthday present.
• The pink of perfection: The very best example; the epitome.
  • His performance was the pink of perfection.

Verb

1. cut in a zigzag pattern with pinking shears, in sewing
2. sound like a car engine that is firing too early
   • the car pinged when I put in low-octane gasoline
   • The car pinked when the ignition was too far retarded
3. make light, repeated taps on a surface
   • he was tapping his fingers on the table impatiently

Noun

1. a person with mildly leftist political views
2. any of various flowers of plants of the genus Dianthus cultivated for their fragrant flowers
3. a light shade of red

Adjective

1. of a light shade of red