Etymology From Middle English kinken, kynken, from Old English *cincian (attested in cincung), from Proto-West Germanic *kinkōn, from Proto-Germanic *kinkōną (“to laugh”), from Proto-Indo-European *gang- (“to mock, jeer, deride”), related to Old English canc (“jeering, scorn, derision”). Cognate with Dutch kinken (“to kink, cough”).
1
To laugh loudly.
2
To gasp for breath as in a severe fit of coughing.
kink
noun
Etymology From Middle English kinken, kynken, from Old English *cincian (attested in cincung), from Proto-West Germanic *kinkōn, from Proto-Germanic *kinkōną (“to laugh”), from Proto-Indo-European *gang- (“to mock, jeer, deride”), related to Old English canc (“jeering, scorn, derision”). Cognate with Dutch kinken (“to kink, cough”).
1
Scotland, Dialectal A convulsive fit of coughing or laughter; a sonorous indraft of breath; a whoop; a gasp of breath caused by laughing, coughing, or crying.
kink
noun
Etymology From Dutch kink (“a twist or curl in a rope”), from Proto-Germanic *kenk-, *keng- (“to bend, turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *gengʰ- (“to turn, wind, braid, weave”). Compare Saterland Frisian Kink (“twist or entanglement in a rope or cord”), Middle Low German kinke (“spiral screw, coil”), Old Norse kikna (“to bend backwards, sink at the knee”), Icelandic kengur (“a bend or bight; a metal crook”). Probably related to kick.
A tight curl, twist, or bend in a length of thin material, hair etc.
We couldn't get enough water to put out the fire because of a kink in the hose.
2
A difficulty or flaw that is likely to impede operation, as in a plan or system.
They had planned to open another shop downtown, but their plan had a few kinks.
3
An unreasonable notion; a crotchet; a whim; a caprice.
Never a Yankee was born or bred / Without that peculiar kink in his head / By which he could turn the smallest amount / Of whatever he had to the best account.1856, Frederick Swartwout Cozzens, The Sparrowgrass Papers:
"Still, boozers can be worked sometimes. Most people can, if you encourage their kink. One old woman staked me for three months because she got such a kick out of scandalmongering the neighbours to me."1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 17:
4
Peculiarity or deviation in sexual behaviour or taste.
No more kink. Nothing. Finito. Got it?1980, Paul Schrader, American Gigolo, spoken by Julian Kaye (Richard Gere):
To top it all off, Lynn is into kink. Last night she was really into kink. It's a good thing that today is my day off because I need the time to recuperate and think things over.2013, Alison Tyler, H Is for Hardcore, page 13:
5
A person with peculiar sexual tastes.
"What do they think you know?" "No more than I've told you. That he's a kink. He rapes people and kills people and spends too much money and flies grass in."1985, John Dann MacDonald, Five Complete Travis McGee Novels, page 254:
“He's a kink. All I have to do is toss off my clothes and dance around his apartment while he sits and drools.”2013, James Hadley Chase, A Can of Worms:
6
Any sexual preference outside normal or expected norms.
7
Mathematics, Sciences A positive 1-soliton solution to the sine-Gordon equation.
Etymology From Dutch kink (“a twist or curl in a rope”), from Proto-Germanic *kenk-, *keng- (“to bend, turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *gengʰ- (“to turn, wind, braid, weave”). Compare Saterland Frisian Kink (“twist or entanglement in a rope or cord”), Middle Low German kinke (“spiral screw, coil”), Old Norse kikna (“to bend backwards, sink at the knee”), Icelandic kengur (“a bend or bight; a metal crook”). Probably related to kick.