Aiso 4–5 tyngle, 6 tingil, tincgle. [app. in origin a modification of TINKLE v.1 (in both branches), for which it is substituted in some MSS. of the second Wycliffite version: cf. crinkle, cringle. It has the form of a frequentative of TING v. and sb., and has prob. in later use (in branch II) been associated with that group, but is found earlier.]
I. 1. intr. Said of the ears: To be affected with a ringing or thrilling sensation at the hearing of anything. Cf. RING v.2 5.
Perh. the original notion was ‘to ring or resound in response to a loud noise’; but it was very early applied to the result of hearing something mentally shocking or painful, without any reference to sound.
1388. Wyclif, 2 Kings xxi. 12. Yuelis … that who euer herith, bothe hise eeris tyngle [1382 tynclyn; 1388 v.r. tyncle or ringe].
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, x. (1887), 57. To much shrilnesse straynes the head [of the speaker], causeth the temples pante,… the eyes to swell, the eares to tingle.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 585. Least I cause good and learned mens eares to tingle at his loud and vnseemely rimes.
1623. Gouge, Serm. Extent God’s Provid., § 11. A judgement which would make a mans eare to tingle again.
1715. Atterbury, Serm. (1734), I. v. 133. Imprecations, which the Ears of sober Heathens would tingle at.
1847. L. Hunt, Jar Honey, x. (1848), 141. His ears tingled, his head turned giddy.
1850. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), I. ix. 355. Senators and knights returned to Rome, their ears tingling with his compliments.
b. Said also of the cheeks under the influence of shame, indignation, or the like.
(Here there is no notion of sound, but only of the sensation caused by the rush of blood to the cheeks.)
1555. in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. 1. 163. So that thy swoln cheeks shal even tingle at the hearing.
1779. Mme. D’Arblay, Diary, 3 Nov. Miss Burney, do not your cheeks tingle?
1828. D’Israeli, Chas. I., I. v. 129. This would have made an English Protestant’s cheek tingle with indignation.
2. Of other parts of the body: To be thrilled by a peculiar stinging or smarting sensation, physical or emotional; to smart, thrill, vibrate; also fig. of inanimate things, companies or bodies of persons, etc.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VII. lxvii. (Bodl. MS.). A tokene of venym … ȝif he … dreueleþ and þe lippes … smarten and tinglen.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt., lvii. (1814), 214. The stroke lyght on a grete rocke soo rudely, that his handes tynger [? tyngel] so sore therwith.
1664. Pepys, Diary, 3 Sept. My blood tingles and itches … all over my body.
1742. Pope, Dunc., IV. 147. The pale Boy-Senator yet tingling stands, And holds his breeches close with both his hands.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xxxiii. Wounds tingle most when they are about to heal.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxxi. (1856), 273. Your lungs tingle pleasantly as you draw [the cold air] in.
1878. T. L. Cuyler, Pointed Papers, 124. His conscience begins to tingle.
1884. Times, 13 Feb., 11/4. All England tingles with the pain of the blow.
1898. W. Watson, Ode in May, i. And Earth, unto her leaflet tips, Tingles with the Spring.
b. Predicated of that which causes the sensation: To thrill, vibrate; to pass with a thrill.
1819. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., I. i. 133. It tingles through the frame As lightning tingles, hovering ere it strike.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xvi. Every note … tingled through his huge frame.
1865. Kingsley, Herew., vii. Hereward … felt the lust of battle tingling in him from head to heel.
1875. Lowell, Under Old Elm, I. i. 4. The boy feels deeper meanings thrill his ear, That tingling through his pulse life-long shall run.
3. trans. To cause to tingle; to affect with a thrilling, smarting, or stinging sensation (physical or mental); to sting, excite, stimulate. (Cf. L. auriculas tinnīre to tingle or tickle the ears; also WFlem. tingelen to sting as a nettle, or like the cold.)
1572. Mascall, Plant. & Graff. (1592), 49. Small spotts … which will … tingle & trouble you like Nettles.
1607. Dekker & Webster, Hist. Sir T. Wyatt, Wks. 1873, III. 106. That picture should haue power to tingle Loue In Royall brests.
1860. Emerson, Cond. Life, Fate, Wks. (Bohn), II. 310. The cold, inconsiderate of persons, tingles your blood.
1875. Lowell, Fight Concord Bridge, iii. That I might praise her in rhyme Would tingle your eyelids to tears.
1892. Mrs. Oliphant, Marr. Elinor, III. xxxvii. 63. It tingled her to her very fingers’ ends.
B. absol. or intr.
1872. Beecher, Lect. Preach., ix. 178. Don’t whip with a switch that has the leaves on if you want to tingle.
1883. E. Ingersoll, in Harper’s Mag., Jan., 199. Pepper-woods, whose leaves … tingle upon the tongue like curry.
II. 4. intr. To make a continued light ringing sound: nearly = TINKLE v.1 2. Now rare or spec. as in quots. 1771, 1906.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. xii. (Bodl. MS.). Wiþ betinge of bacyns, trillinge and tingelinge þei [bees] beþ icomforted and icleped to þe huyues.
c. 1450. Wyclif’s Bible, 1 Cor. xiii. 1 (MS. Arundel 104). Y am maad as bras sownynge, or a cymbal tinglinge [other MSS. tynkynge, once tynclynge].
a. 1535. Sir T. More, in Grose, etc., Antiq. Rep. (1809), IV. 654. Clerck he was in Wellis, Where tingle a great many belles.
a. 1652. Brome, Queen’s Exch., II. ii. The great Bells of our Town, they tingle they tangle.
1771. N. Nicholls, Corr. w. Gray (1843), 144. Little bells of different tones perpetually tingling for the elevation of the host.
1806–7. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life (1826), X. lx. A little shrill bell … that … keeps tingling.
1820. Mair, Tyro’s Dict. (ed. 10), 385. Tinio,… to tinkle or tingle.
1906. ‘Baroness Orczy,’ Son of People, xvi. When the little bell had ceased to tingle, few heads dared as yet to look towards the altar.
5. trans. To cause (a bell) to ring lightly; to ring (a bell, a chime, etc.). Now rare.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Rich. II., ccxlvi. Hee … tingles out A Chime.
1775. S. J. Pratt, Liberal Opin., ciii. (1783), III. 234. He … gave the usual signal … by tingling a bell.
1812. H. & J. Smith, Rej. Addr., Macbeth, i. I’d thank her to tingle her bell.
1843. J. Ballantine, Gaberlunzie’s Wallet, v. 122. We might as weel get the town-crier and gaur him tingle his bell.
b. To tingle bees: to charm or influence bees by a tingling or metallic sound: cf. TING v. 1 b.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. IV., cccxxviii. As you may tingle Bees Hee charmes the gaddings of opinion.
