1. small edible sea snails with spiral shells
Usage: British

1. third person singular present of winkle; to extract or obtain something with difficulty
Usage: British; informal

Examples

• We collected winkles from the rocky shore at low tide.
• The fishmonger sold fresh winkles and other shellfish.
• She winkles information out of people very skillfully.
• He winkles the truth from even the most reluctant witnesses.
• The children enjoyed picking winkles from the tide pools.
• It took patience to winkle the cork from the old bottle.