Adjacent Words

Periwinkle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PER'IWINKLE, n. [L. vinca.]
1. A sea snail, or small shell fish.
2. A plant of the genus Vinca.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: chiefly trailing poisonous plants with blue flowers
2: commonly cultivated Old World woody herb having large pinkish to red flowers [syn: periwinkle, rose periwinkle, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, Cape periwinkle, red periwinkle, cayenne jasmine, Catharanthus roseus, Vinca rosea]
3: small edible marine snail; steamed in wine or baked [syn: periwinkle, winkle]
4: edible marine gastropod [syn: periwinkle, winkle]

Merriam Webster's

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 p?newincle, 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

Britannica Concise

In botany, any of various plants of the genus Vinca of the dogbane family. The lesser periwinkle (V. minor), which has small lilac-blue flowers, is a dependable, trailing, evergreen perennial that is native to Europe and has become widespread over much of E N. America. The greater periwinkle (V. major), with larger leaves and larger purplish-blue flowers, is native to continental Europe and has become naturalized in England. Alkaloids derived from the periwinkle plant have had some success in inhibiting cancer growth. In zoology, any of some 80 species (family Littorinidae) of widely distributed, chiefly herbivorous, shore snails. Periwinkles are usually found on rocks, stones, or pilings between high- and low-tide marks. The common periwinkle (Littorina littorea), the largest N species, may grow to 1.5 in. (4 cm) long. It is usually dark gray and has a solid spiral shell. Introduced into N. America c.1857, it is now common on Atlantic coasts. All periwinkle species are a favorite food of many shorebirds. In botany, any of various plants of the genus Vinca of the dogbane family. The lesser periwinkle (V. minor), which has small lilac-blue flowers, is a dependable, trailing, evergreen perennial that is native to Europe and has become widespread over much of E N. America. The greater periwinkle (V. major), with larger leaves and larger purplish-blue flowers, is native to continental Europe and has become naturalized in England. Alkaloids derived from the periwinkle plant have had some success in inhibiting cancer growth. In zoology, any of some 80 species (family Littorinidae) of widely distributed, chiefly herbivorous, shore snails. Periwinkles are usually found on rocks, stones, or pilings between high- and low-tide marks. The common periwinkle (Littorina littorea), the largest N species, may grow to 1.5 in. (4 cm) long. It is usually dark gray and has a solid spiral shell. Introduced into N. America c.1857, it is now common on Atlantic coasts. All periwinkle species are a favorite food of many shorebirds.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. 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. Etymology: ME f. AF pervenke, OF pervenche f. LL pervinca, assim. to PERIWINKLE(2) 2. n. = WINKLE. Etymology: 16th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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 littorea), in Europe extensively used as food, has recently become naturalized abundantly on the American coast. See Littorina. Note: In America the name is often applied to several large univalves, as Fulgur carica, and F. canaliculata.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Periwinkle Per"i*win`kle, n. [OE. pervenke, AS. pervince, fr. L. pervinca.] (Bot.) A trailing herb of the genus Vinca. Note: 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(periwinkles) 1. Periwinkle is a plant that grows along the ground and has blue flowers. N-VAR 2. Periwinkles are small sea snails that can be eaten. = winkle N-COUNT