periwinkle
Meanings
Noun
- Any of several evergreen plants of the genus Vinca with blue or white flowers.
- Similar plants of genus Catharanthus.
- A color with bluish and purplish hues, somewhat light.
- A mollusk of family Littorinidae.
Adjective
- Of pale bluish purple colour.
Related
Similar words
Origin
- Diminutive of Middle English perwinke, from Old English perfince, perwince (compare Middle High German berwinke), from Latin pervinca (compare French pervenche, Italian pervinca), of unknown origin.
- image:Sea snail, underneath, full view.jpg|thumb|Periwinkle emerging from its shell
- From Middle English, alteration of *pinewinkle (compare English dialectal pennywinkle), from Old English pīnewincle, compound of Latin pīna, itself from Ancient Greek πίνη, variant of πίννα) and wincel (compare dialectal Danish vinkel). More at winch and wink.
Modern English dictionary
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