Apedia

Winkle Wing Kuhl Noun Periwinkle Mollusks Spiral Shell Verb

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winkle /WING-kuhl/
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noun
A periwinkle, any of various mollusks with a spiral shell.

verb tr.
To extract with effort or difficulty.

[For noun: Of uncertain origin.
For verb: From the process of extracting a periwinkle from its shell with a pin for eating its meat. Earliest documented use: 1585.]

Dougherty is a smart, pragmatic but deep-thinking cop who winkles out the truth by virtue of dogged police work.” - Declan Burke; Intricate Confessions, Historic Skeletons, Heartbreaking Tragedy; Irish Times (Dublin); Aug 29, 2015. 

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