squint

English

Etymology

Derived from asquint (“obliquely, with a sidelong glance”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /skwɪnt/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪnt

Verb

Man squinting (sense 1)
Child squinting (sense 2)
A person with strabismus (sense 3)

squint (third-person singular simple present squints, present participle squinting, simple past and past participle squinted)

  2. (intransitive) To look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight, or as a threatening expression.
    The children squinted to frighten each other.
    • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
      “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
  4. (intransitive) To look or glance sideways.
    Synonym: skew
  6. (intransitive) To look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions; to suffer from strabismus.
  7. (intransitive, figurative) To have an indirect bearing, reference, or implication; to have an allusion to, or inclination towards, something.
    • 1887, The Forum:
      Yet if the following sentence means anything, it is a squinting toward hypnotism.
  8. (intransitive, Scotland) To be not quite straight, off-centred; to deviate from a true line; to run obliquely.
  9. (transitive) To turn to an oblique position; to direct obliquely.
    to squint an eye
  10. Look askance.
    Congress clearly is squinting at the prospect of increased funding for the program.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

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Noun

squint (plural squints)

  1. An expression in which the eyes are partly closed.
  2. The look of eyes which are turned in different directions, as in strabismus.
    He looks handsome although he's got a slight squint.
  4. (informal) A quick or sideways glance; a short look; a peep.
    • 1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 12: The Cyclops]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC:
      —And here she is, says Alf, that was giggling over the Police Gazette with Terry on the counter, in all her warpaint.
      —Give us a squint at her, says I.
    • 1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London:
      "Better have a squint yourself," suggested Horace, withdrawing his implement and resigning the position. "Listening posts are more in your line by all accounts, inspector."
  5. A hagioscope.
  6. (radio transmission) The angle by which the transmission signal is offset from the normal of a phased array antenna.
  7. (architecture) An opening, often arched, through an internal wall of a church, providing an oblique view of the altar.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

squint

  1. Looking obliquely; having the vision distorted.
  2. (Scotland) askew, not level

Derived terms

Anagrams

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