: any of a genus (Littorina) of edible littoral marine snails
also: any of various similar or related marine snails
b
: any of several North American freshwater snails
Illustration of periwinkle
periwinkle a
Examples of periwinkle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Buy it in either linen for a classic look or periwinkle for a touch of color.—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023 While Hillary Clinton’s narrow 2016 loss there hinted at what was coming, Arizona, especially, seemed to flip from ruby red to periwinkle blue almost overnight, with Republicans managing to lose both U.S. Senate seats, the governorship, and the state’s Electoral College votes in just four years.—Kyle Paoletta, The New Republic, 30 Oct. 2023 The largest size is available in three velvet colors: dusty pink, periwinkle blue, and emerald green.—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023 For an evenings out in Paris, Selena Gomez opted for contrasting approaches, a generous dusting of shimmering periwinkle shadow worn one night, bare lids and a peach pout another.—Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2023 Monáe, who is currently on their The Age of Pleasure tour, hit the stage in Toronto on September 21 in a boldly blooming flower crown packed with voluptuous roses in shades of peach, periwinkle and yellow.—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 22 Sep. 2023 This year's pick—a dynamic shade of periwinkle called Very Peri—is sure to be no exception.—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023 Glamour and periwinkle: The 'Speak Now' era The stadium then features purple visual effects on all its screens as Swift walks toward center stage in a ballgown to sing one song from her 2010 studio album.—Ramon Padilla, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2023 The royal stepped out in a semi-sheer periwinkle dress with celestial motif at a reception in Dubai in 1989.—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 30 Aug. 2022 See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'periwinkle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English perwinke, from Old English perwince, from Vulgar Latin *pervinca, short for Latin vincapervinca
Noun (2)
Middle English *periwinkle, alteration of Old English pīnewincle, from Latin pina, a kind of mussel (from Greek) + Old English -wincle (akin to Danish vincle snail shell)
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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