periwinkle

periwinkle
I. noun Etymology: Middle English perwinke, from Old English perwince, from Vulgar Latin *pervinca, short for Latin vincapervinca Date: before 12th century 1. any of several trailing or woody evergreen herbs of the dogbane family: as a. (1) a European creeper (Vinca minor) widely cultivated as a ground cover and for its blue or white flowers — called also myrtle (2) a trailing plant (Vinca major) with large blue flowers that is used as a ground cover and in window boxes b. rosy periwinkle 2. a light purplish blue — called also periwinkle blue II. noun Etymology: Middle English *periwinkle, alteration of Old English pīnewincle, from Latin pina, a kind of mussel (from Greek) + Old English -wincle (akin to Danish vincle snail shell) Date: circa 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 North American freshwater snails

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Periwinkle — is...;Flora and fauna * Periwinkle (mollusc) * A regional term for the gravel encased larva of the Caddisfly * Periwinkle (plant), two related genera: ** Catharanthus (Madagascar periwinkles) ** Vinca (European periwinkles) * Periwinkle (color),… …   Wikipedia

  • periwinkle — periwinkle1 [per′ə wiŋ΄kəl] n. [ME pervinke < OE peruince < L pervinca, periwinkle < pervincire, to entwine, bind < per (see PER1) + vincire, to bind, fetter < IE base * weig : see WEAK] any of a genus (Vinca) of trailing or erect …   English World dictionary

  • Periwinkle — Per i*win kle, n. [OE. pervenke, AS. pervince, fr. L. pervinca.] (Bot.) A trailing herb of the genus {Vinca}. [1913 Webster] Note: The common perwinkle ({Vinca minor}) has opposite evergreen leaves and solitary blue or white flowers in their… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Periwinkle — Per i*win kle, n. [From AS. pinewincla a shellfish, in which pine is fr. L. pina, pinna, a kind of mussel, akin to Gr. ?. Cf. {Winkle}.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any small marine gastropod shell of the genus Littorina. The common European species ({Littorina… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • periwinkle — [1] ► NOUN ▪ a plant with flat five petalled flowers and glossy leaves. ORIGIN Latin pervinca …   English terms dictionary

  • periwinkle — periwinkle1 /per i wing keuhl/, n. 1. any of various marine gastropods or sea snails, esp. Littorina littorea, used for food in Europe. 2. the shell of any of these animals. [1520 30; perh. reflecting (through assimilation to PERIWINKLE2) OE… …   Universalium

  • periwinkle — {{11}}periwinkle (1) evergreen plant, c.1500, dim. of parvink (12c.), from O.E. perwince, from L.L. pervinca periwinkle (4c.), from L., from pervincire to entwine, bind, from per thoroughly (see PER (Cf. per)) + vincire to bind, fetter (see …   Etymology dictionary

  • periwinkle — UK [ˈperɪˌwɪŋk(ə)l] / US noun Word forms periwinkle : singular periwinkle plural periwinkles 1) a) [countable] a small blue or white flower b) [uncountable] the colour of a blue periwinkle 2) [countable] a small sea creature that lives in a shell …   English dictionary

  • periwinkle — I. /ˈpɛriwɪŋkəl / (say pereewingkuhl) noun 1. any of various marine gastropods or sea snails, especially Littorina littorea, used for food. 2. the shell of any of various other small univalves. {Middle English pervinkle, from Germanic} II.… …  

  • periwinkle — SYN: Vinca rosea. * * * per·i·win·kle per i .wiŋ kəl n any of several trailing or woody evergreen plants of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) esp ROSY PERIWINKLE * * * peri·win·kle (perґe wing″kəl) 1. any of several woody herbs of the… …   Medical dictionary

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