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3. in the twinkling of an eye

in the twinkling of an eye

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in the twinkling of an eye

 and in the wink of an eye

Fig. very quickly. In the twinkling of an eye, the deer had disappeared into the forest. I gave Bill ten dollars and, in the twinkling of an eye, he spent it.

See also: eye, of

in the twinkling of an eye

very quickly This machine will do all the calculations in the twinkling of an eye.

See also: eye, of

in the twinkling of an eye

if something happens in the twinkling of an eye, it happens very quickly This machine will do all the calculations in the twinkling of an eye.

See also: eye, of

in the twinkling of an eye

In an instant, as in The breakup of Yugoslavia created many warring nations in the twinkling of an eye. This hyperbolic expression, which alludes to the very brief time it takes for an eye to blink, is heard less often today. [c. 1300]

See also: eye, of