dink
UK[dɪŋk]US[dɪŋk]
n
A shot in table tennis or pickleball that is hit softly so it drops sharply over the net.
v
To hit a ball in table tennis or pickleball with a soft shot that drops sharply over the net.
adj
(informal, chiefly US) Deliberately stylish or sophisticated; yuppie-like.
Etymology
The origin of 'dink' is not definitively traced to classical roots. Its primary sporting senses, emerging in the 20th century for table tennis and later pickleball, are considered imitative, meant to echo the light, precise contact of the paddle with the ball. The informal adjectival sense, describing a consciously upscale lifestyle (as in "dink couple" meaning "dual income, no kids"), arose in American English during the 1980s as an acronym (D.I.N.K.), which then evolved into a standalone adjective. Thus, the word represents a convergence of onomatopoeia and modern acronymic slang into a single lexical form.
Analysis
This word is a simplex. It is likely an onomatopoeic formation, imitating the light, sharp sound of a ball being struck, or a clipping from a longer word.
Examples
He won the point with a perfect dink that just cleared the net.
You should try to dink the ball when your opponent is at the back of the court.
They lived in a dink apartment in the trendy part of the city.