I. ˈperəˌwiŋkəl, -rēˌ- noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration (probably influenced by periwinkle ) (II) of Middle English pervenke, pervinke, perwynke, from Old English perfince, perwince, from Latin pervinca, pervica, (vinca) pervinca, perhaps from per through + -vinca, -vica (from vincire to bind) — more at for , vetch
1. : any of several plants of the genus Vinca: as
a. : a trailing evergreen herb ( V. minor ) with solitary blue or white flowers often cultivated and frequently escaping — called also myrtle
b. : a trailing foliage plant ( V. major ) often variegated and used for window boxes — called also large periwinkle
c. : a commonly cultivated woody herb ( V. rosea ) of the Old World tropics having opposite entire leaves and large white, pinkish, or rosy flowers often with a red eye — called also Cape periwinkle, Madagascar periwinkle, red periwinkle
2. or periwinkle blue : a variable color averaging a light purplish blue that is redder and deeper than lupine or zenith
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: from (assumed) Middle English, alteration (influenced by Middle English pervinke, perwynke ) of (assumed) Middle English pinewinkle (whence English dialect pennywinkle ), from Old English pīnewincle, from Latin pīna, a mussel (from Greek pinē, pina ) + Old English -wincle (akin to Danish vinkel snail shell); akin to Old English wincel corner, Old Frisian winkel, Old High German winkil corner, Old English wincian to wink — more at wink
: any of various gastropod mollusks: as
a. : any of numerous edible shallow-water or littoral marine snails (genus Littorina ) having the shell thick, solid, and conical without an umbilicus and the foot longitudinally divided ; also : the shell of such a mollusk
b. : any of various other marine snails or their shells similar or related to those of Littorina (as various American members of Thais or in Australia some of the Trochidae)
c. : any of several No. American freshwater snails
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periwinkle a
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III. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to gather periwinkles
go periwinkling on the beach