What does "periwinkle" mean?
Any of several evergreen plants of the genus Vinca with blue or white flowers.
Periwinkle
/ˈpɛɹ.ɪˌwɪŋ.kəl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of several evergreen plants of the genus Vinca with blue or white flowers.
- Grammar: periwinkle is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: catharanthus roseus, rose periwinkle, bluish purple, cape periwinkle.
- Useful contrasts: absence of color, colorless, colorlessness.
- Usage evidence: I bought a variety of shade-loving plants to add to my garden: ferns, periwinkle, and several hostas with variegated green and white leaves.
How to use "periwinkle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "periwinkle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "periwinkle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "periwinkle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "periwinkle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "periwinkle" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "catharanthus roseus" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "periwinkle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of several evergreen plants of the genus Vinca with blue or white flowers.
"The Periwinkle is a great binder, staying bleeding both at mouth and nose if some of the leaves be chewed."
- 2 A mollusk of family Littorinidae.
"He was working a pin into a periwinkle shell, turning it to extract the toothsome morsel of meat."
- 3 edible marine gastropod wordnet
- 4 Similar plants of genus Catharanthus.
- 5 small edible marine snail; steamed in wine or baked wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A color with bluish and purplish hues, somewhat light.
"And although we’ve certainly seen a variety of blue shades — from periwinkle to cobalt and even Dean Cain’s indigo-washed costume from the 1990’s TV show “Lois & Clark” — Superman’s uniform is still instantly recognizable across generations. In fact, there is only one film — Zack Snyder’s 2013 “Man of Steel” — in which Superman does not wear his iconic red belted trunks."
- 7 commonly cultivated Old World woody herb having large pinkish to red flowers wordnet
- 8 chiefly trailing poisonous plants with blue flowers wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Of pale bluish purple colour.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I bought a variety of shade-loving plants to add to my garden: ferns, periwinkle, and several hostas with variegated green and white leaves."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "periwinkle"?
Common synonyms include: catharanthus roseus, rose periwinkle, bluish purple, cape periwinkle, cayenne jasmine, clam.
How do you use "periwinkle" in a sentence?
I bought a variety of shade-loving plants to add to my garden: ferns, periwinkle, and several hostas with variegated green and white leaves.
How do you pronounce "periwinkle"?
Pronounced /ˈpɛɹ.ɪˌwɪŋ.kəl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Diminutive of Middle English perwinke, from Old English perfince, perwince (compare Middle High German berwinke), from Latin pervinca (compare French pervenche, Italian pervinca).
Etymology 2
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.