Origin of periwinkleMiddle English pervinke ; from Old English peruince ; from Classical Latin pervinca, periwinkle ; from pervincire, to entwine, bind ; from per- (see per) + vincire, to bind, fetter ; from Indo-European base an unverified form weig-: see weak
- any of a family (Littorinidae) of small, intertidal saltwater snails having a thick, globular shell: some species are edible
- the shell of such a snail
Origin of periwinkle; from Old English pinewincle ; from Classical Latin pina, mussel (; from Gr) + Old English -wincle, akin to Danish dialect, dialectal vinkel, snail shell, Old English winkel, corner ; from Indo-European an unverified form weng-, to be curved from source winch
- Any of various marine snails of the family Littorinidae, having thick, cone-shaped, whorled shells, especially Littorina littorea, an edible species of the North Atlantic Ocean.
- The shell or the flesh of any of these snails.
Origin of periwinkleMiddle English *periwinkle, probably alteration (influenced by pervinkle, periwinkle (plant)) of Old English pīnewincle : Latin pīna, mussel (from Greek pīnē) + Old English -wincel, snail shell.
- Any of several shrubby, trailing, evergreen plants of the genus Vinca, especially V. minor, having glossy, dark green, opposite leaves and flowers with a blue, funnel-shaped corolla.
- Any of several erect herbs of the genus Catharanthus, especially C. roseus, having flowers with a rose-pink or white salverform corolla and a closed throat.
- A pale purplish blue.
Origin of periwinkleMiddle English pervinkle, diminutive of pervinke, from Old English pervince, from Latin (vinca) pervinca, from pervincīre, to wind about.
- Any of several evergreen plants of the genus Vinca with blue or white flowers. [from 10th c.]
- A color with bluish and purplish hues, somewhat light.
(comparative more periwinkle, superlative most periwinkle)
- Of pale bluish purple colour.
Diminutive of Middle English perwinke, from Old English perfince, perwince (compare Middle High German berwinke), from Latin (vinca) pervinca (compare French pervenche, Italian pervinca), of unknown origin.
- A mollusk of genus Littorina.
Middle English, alteration of *pinewinkle (compare English dialectal pennywinkle), from Old English pÄ«newincle, compound of Latin pÄ«na 'kind of mussel', itself from Ancient Greek pÃ®na, variant of pÃnna 'mussel') and -wincle (compare Danish dial. vinkel 'snail shell'), from wincel 'corner'. More at winch and wink.