blinkie

English

Etymology

From blink +‎ -ie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈblɪŋki/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪŋki
• Homophone: blinky

Noun

blinkie (plural blinkies)

1. (Internet) A small animated graphic for use on a web page, usually taking the form of a picture or phrase with blinking lights around it.
   • 2007, Lisa Nakamura, Digitizing Race: Visual Cultures of the Internet:

     The buddyicon.info Web site offers thousands of AIM buddy icons (28838 by my most recent count), as well as "away" icons and "blinkies" […]

   • 2007, Joelle Reeder, Katherine Scoleri, The IT Girl's Guide to Blogging with Moxie:

     You want people to be able to find your entries; try to keep the extra bling, like distracting scripts and blinkies, to a minimum.

   • 2012, Kim Golombisky, Rebecca Hagen, White Space is Not Your Enemy:

     Don't animate your visuals to blink ad infinitum. Set a small-file blinkie to turn off after no more than three passes at whatever it is your blinkie does.

2. (retail, colloquial) A coupon dispenser with blinking lights to draw the attention of shoppers.
   • 2013, Kasey Knight Trenum, Couponing for the Rest of Us:

     These are blinkies. When you walk up to them there is usually a coupon sticking out. Snag the coupon and another one just like it will pop out in a few seconds. Blinkies have a special place in my heart.

Anagrams

• binlike, niblike