periwinkle
noun
- color
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpɛɹ.ɪˌwɪŋ.kəl/
adj
Etymology: Diminutive of Middle English perwinke, from Old English perfince, perwince (compare Middle High German berwinke), from Latin pervinca (compare French pervenche, Italian pervinca).
- Of pale bluish purple colour.
noun
Etymology: 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.
- A mollusk of family Littorinidae.
“He was working a pin into a periwinkle shell, turning it to extract the toothsome morsel of meat.”
- A caddisfly larva.