periwinkle

¹ American  

[per-i-wing-kuhl] / ˈpɛr ɪˌwɪŋ kəl /

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.

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periwinkle ² American  

[per-i-wing-kuhl] / ˈpɛr ɪˌwɪŋ kəl /

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.

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periwinkle ¹ British  

/ ˈpɛrɪˌwɪŋkəl /

noun

1. Also called (US): creeping myrtle.   trailing 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

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periwinkle ² British  

/ ˈpɛrɪˌwɪŋkəl /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• periwinkled adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

She cited aspirin drawing on formulations using willow tree bark, contraceptive pills developed from yam plant roots and child cancer treatments based on Madagascar's rosy periwinkle flower.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

She said the rivers and ponds used to brim with all kinds of animals and fish, particularly periwinkle.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2025

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 • Oct. 12, 2023

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 • Sep. 27, 2023

Mrs. Murphy gives me something new nearly every day—a skirt she says she found in a closet, a woolen hat, a camel-colored coat, a periwinkle scarf and matching mittens.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Related Words

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