periwinkle

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛɹɪwɪŋk(ə)l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛɹiˌwɪŋkəl/

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.

periwinkle (plural periwinkles)

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 if some of the leaves be chewed.

2. A color with bluish and purplish hues, somewhat light.

   periwinkle colour:  

• For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:periwinkle.

• (plant): myrtle, vinca

periwinkle (comparative more periwinkle, superlative most periwinkle)

1. Of pale bluish purple colour.

• Madagascar periwinkle
• rose periwinkle
• rosy periwinkle

• Periwinkle (color) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• vinblastine
• vincristine
• Appendix:Colors

Periwinkle emerging from its shell

From Middle English [Term?], alteration of *pinewinkle (compare English dialectal pennywinkle), from Old English pīnewincle, compound of Latin pīna (“kind of mussel”), itself from Ancient Greek πίνη (pínē), variant of πίννα (pínna, “mussel”)) and Old English wincel (“corner”) (compare dialectal Danish vinkel (“snail shell”)). More at winch and wink.

periwinkle (plural periwinkles)

1. A mollusk of genus Littorina.

• (mollusk): winkle

• Periwinkle (mollusc) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia