[per.i.win.kle] n [ME perwinke, fr. OE perwince, fr. (assumed) VL pervinca, short for L vincapervinca] (bef. 12c) 1: any of several trailing or woody evergreen herbs of the dogbane family: as a: a European creeper (Vinca minor) widely cultivated as a ground cover and for its blue or white flowers--called also myrtle b: a commonly cultivated subshrub (Catharanthus roseus syn. Vinca rosea) of the Old World tropics that is the source of several antineoplastic drugs--called also Madagascar periwinkle
2: a light purplish blue--called also periwinkle blue
[2]periwinkle n [(assumed) ME, alter. of OE pinewincle, fr. L pina, a kind of mussel (fr. Gk) + OE -wincle (akin to Dan vincle snail shell)] (ca. 1530): any of various gastropod mollusks: as a: any of a genus (Littorina) of edible littoral marine snails; also: any of various similar or related marine snails b: any of several No. American freshwater snails