periwinkle

¹

[ per-i-wing-kuhl ]

noun

1. any of various marine gastropods or sea snails, especially Littorina littorea, used for food in Europe.
2. the shell of any of these animals.

periwinkle

²

[ per-i-wing-kuhl ]

noun

1. Also called myrtle. a trailing plant, Vinca minor, of the dogbane family, having glossy, evergreen foliage and usually blue-violet flowers.
2. any of several similar plants of the genus Vinca or Catharanthus.
3. a blue-violet color.

periwinkle

¹

/ ˈpɛrɪˌwɪŋkəl /

noun

1. Also called (US)creeping myrtletrailing myrtle any of several Eurasian apocynaceous evergreen plants of the genus Vinca, such as V. minor ( lesser periwinkle ) and V. major ( greater periwinkle ), having trailing stems and blue flowers
2. 1. a light purplish-blue colour
   2. ( as adjective )

      a periwinkle coat

periwinkle

²

/ ˈpɛrɪˌwɪŋkəl /

noun

1. any of various edible marine gastropods of the genus Littorina, esp L. littorea, having a spirally coiled shell Often shortened towinkle

Other Words From

• peri·winkled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of periwinkle¹

1520–30; perhaps reflecting (through assimilation to periwinkle ² ) Old English pīnewincle, equivalent to pīne (from Latin pīna from Greek pínē, pîna, a kind of mollusk) + -wincel “shellfish” (occurring only in compounds), cognate with dialectal Danish vinkel “snail shell”

Origin of periwinkle²

before 1000; earlier pervinkle, perwinkle, alteration ( -le ) of Middle English perwinke, pervinke, from Anglo-French pervenke ( Old French pervenche ,) from Late Latin pervinca, Latin vi(n)capervi(n)ca; compare Old English peruince, Middle High German ber(e)winke from Late Latin pervinca

Word History and Origins

Origin of periwinkle¹

C14 pervenke, from Old English perwince, from Late Latin pervinca

Origin of periwinkle²

C16: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

The scientists have already shown that several common flowers, such as periwinkles, petunias, and roses can be made to glow.

From NewsForKids.net

Of course, Swift attracted the most attention while gracing the red carpet in a pretty periwinkle gown and her signature red lip.

From Los Angeles Times

They recalled cleaning their graves in a cemetery whose stones, pottery and plantings of yucca and periwinkle were a window into ancestral burial practices.

From New York Times

At the Center for Natural Lands Management’s Violet Prairie native seed farm in Thurston County, row after row of periwinkle, yellow and pink flowers stretch across 5 acres.

From Seattle Times

Disney added the city’s name when it ran the franchise from 1996 to 2003, while dressing players in periwinkle blue uniforms that were among the ugliest ever in professional sports.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• color
• lavender
• lilac
• mauve
• plum
• violet