periwinkle
pronunciation
How to pronounce periwinkle in British English:
UK [ˈperiwɪŋkl]
How to pronounce periwinkle in American English:
US [ˈpɛrɪˌwɪŋkəl]
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- Noun:
- chiefly trailing poisonous plants with blue flowers
- commonly cultivated Old World woody herb having large pinkish to red flowers
- small edible marine snail; steamed in wine or baked
- edible marine gastropod
Word Origin
- periwinkle (n.1)
- evergreen plant, c. 1500, diminutive of parvink (12c.), from Old English perwince, from Late Latin pervinca "periwinkle" (4c.), from Latin, perhaps from pervincire "to entwine, bind," from per- "thoroughly" (see per) + vincire "to bind, fetter" (see wind (v.1)).
- periwinkle (n.2)
- kind of sea snail, 1520s, apparently an alteration of Old English pinewincle (probably by influence of Middle English parvink; see periwinkle (n.1)); from Old English pine-, which probably is from Latin pina "mussel," from Greek pine. The second element is wincel "corner; spiral shell," from Proto-Germanic *winkil-, from PIE root *weng- "to bend, curve" (see wink (v.)).
Example
- 1. She is dressed in periwinkle blue pajamas , and her long dark hair covers her face .
- 2. In the photo , 23-year-old feng jianwei lies on a single hospital bed . She is dressed in periwinkle blue pajamas , and her long dark hair covers her face .