'Littorina littorea' definitions:

Definition of 'Littorina littorea'

From: GCIDE
  • 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.] (Zool.) 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. [1913 Webster]
  • Note: In America the name is often applied to several large univalves, as Fulgur carica, and {Fulgur canaliculata}. [1913 Webster]