periwinkle

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: per=i=win=kle

CIDE DICTIONARY

periwinkle, n. [From AS. pinewincla a shellfish, in which pine- is fr. L. pina, pinna, a kind of mussel, akin to Gr. . Cf. Winkle.].

 Any small marine gastropod shell of the genus Littorina. The common European species (Littorina littorea), in Europe extensively used as food, has recently become naturalized abundantly on the American coast. See Littorina.  [1913 Webster]
" In America the name is often applied to several large univalves, as Fulgur carica, and Fulgur canaliculata."  [1913 Webster]

periwinkle, n. [OE. pervenke, AS. pervince, fr. L. pervinca.].

 A trailing herb of the genus Vinca.  [1913 Webster]
" The common perwinkle (Vinca minor) has opposite evergreen leaves and solitary blue or white flowers in their axils. In America it is often miscalled myrtle. See under Myrtle."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

periwinkle, n.
1 any plant of the genus Vinca, esp. an evergreen trailing plant with blue or white flowers.
2 a tropical shrub, Catharanthus roseus, native to Madagascar.

periwinkle, n. = WINKLE.

Etymology

16th c.: orig. unkn.