'Periwinkle' definitions:
Definition of 'periwinkle'
From: WordNet
noun
Chiefly trailing poisonous plants with blue flowers
noun
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]
noun
Small edible marine snail; steamed in wine or baked [syn: periwinkle, winkle]
noun
Edible marine gastropod [syn: periwinkle, winkle]
Definition of 'Periwinkle'
From: GCIDE
- Periwinkle \Per"i*win`kle\, n. [OE. pervenke, AS. pervince, fr. L. pervinca.] (Bot.) A trailing herb of the genus Vinca. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Periwinkle'
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]