winkle
/ˈwɪŋkəl/
verb
- To extract or remove something with difficulty, often bit by bit.
- He managed to winkle the truth out of the reluctant witness.
- She used tweezers to winkle the splinter from her finger.
- The reporter tried to winkle a comment from the politician.
noun
- A small edible sea snail with a spiral shell, also called a periwinkle.
- We collected winkles from the rocky shore for dinner.
- The market sold fresh winkles by the dozen.
- She used a pin to pick the winkle meat out of its shell.