Periwinkle

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈpɛɹɪwɪŋk(É™)l/
• US IPA: /ˈpɛɹiËŒwɪŋkÉ™l/

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.

Full definition of periwinkle

Noun

1. Any of several evergreen plants of the genus Vinca with blue or white flowers. from 10th c.
• 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society 2007, p. 220:The Periwinkle is a great binder, staying bleeding both at mouth and nose is some of the leaves be chewed.
2. A color with bluish and purplish hues, somewhat light.

Synonyms

• (plant) myrtle, vinca

Adjective

1. Of pale bluish purple colour.

Derived terms

• Madagascar periwinkle
• rose periwinkle
• rosy periwinkle

Middle English, alteration of *pinewinkle (compare English dialectal pennywinkle), from Old English pīnewincle, compound of Latin pīna 'kind of mussel', itself from Ancient Greek pîna, variant of pínna 'mussel') and -wincle (compare Danish dial. vinkel 'snail shell'), from wincel 'corner'. More at winch and wink.

Noun

1. A mollusk of genus .

Synonyms

• (mollusk) winkle