periwinkle

1. Any of several small, often edible marine snails, especially of the genus Littorina, having thick, cone-shaped, whorled shells.
2. The shell of any of the periwinkles.

[Middle English *periwinkle, probably alteration (influenced by pervinkle, periwinkle (plant)) of Old English pīnewincle : Latin pīna, mussel (from Greek pīnē) + Old English -wincel, snail shell.]

1. Any of several shrubby, trailing, evergreen plants of the genus Vinca, especially V. minor, having glossy, dark green, opposite leaves and flowers with a blue, funnel-shaped corolla. Also called myrtle.
2. Any of several erect herbs of the genus Catharanthus, especially C. roseus, having flowers with a rose-pink or white salverform corolla and a closed throat.
3. A pale purplish blue.

[Middle English pervinkle, diminutive of pervinke, from Old English pervince, from Latin (vinca) pervinca, from pervincīre, to wind about.]

[PEHR-ih-wing-kuhl] There are over 300 species of this conical, spiral-shelled univalve mollusk (see both listings), but few are edible. Periwinkles, also called bigaros, sea snails or winkles, are found attached to rocks, wharves, pilings, etc. In both fresh and sea water. The most common edible periwinkle is found along the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. It grows to about 1 inch in size and is gray to dark olive with reddish-brown bands. Periwinkles are popular in Europe but rarely found in the United States. They're usually boiled in their shells, then extracted with a small pick.

Periwinkle may refer to:

In fauna:

• Periwinkle, a common name for a number of gastropod molluscs in the family Littorinidae
  • Common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)
  • Blue periwinkle (Nodilittorina unifasciata)
  • Rough periwinkle (Littorina saxatilis)
• Periwinkle, a regional name for the caddisfly larva

In flora:

• Catharanthus or Madagascar periwinkles
  • Catharanthus roseus or rosy periwinkle
• Vinca or European periwinkles
  • Vinca major or greater periwinkle
  • Vinca minor or lesser periwinkle
  • Vinca herbacea or herbaceous periwinkle

In other uses:

• Periwinkle (color), a pale shade of indigo
• Periwinkle (film), a 1917 silent film by James Kirkwood
• USS Periwinkle (1864), a steamer procured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War
• Periwinkle, a character in Blue's Clues
• Periwinkle, a character in The Bellflower Bunnies

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - vinca, singrøn

2.
n. - strandsnegl

Nederlands (Dutch)
maagdenpalm(blauw), kreukel (eetbare slak)

Français (French)
1.
n. - (Bot) pervenche, bleu pervenche

2.
n. - (Zool) bigorneau

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - (bot.) Immergrün

2.
n. - Strandschnecke

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυτολ.) αγριολίτσα, περικοκλάδα

Italiano (Italian)
pervinca, (zool.)littorina

Português (Portuguese)
n. - litorina (f) (Zool.), pervinca (f) (Bot.)

Русский (Russian)
улитка литорина, барвинок

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - vincapervinca, bígaro, bigarro

2.
n. - caracol de mar

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - vintergröna, strandsnäcka

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 玉黍螺, 玉黍螺壳

2. 长春花

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 玉黍螺, 玉黍螺殼

2.
n. - 長春花

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 빙카(유럽 원산의 협죽도과 식물)

2.
n. - 수주고동의 일종

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ツルニチニチソウ, 明るい紫味青, タマキビガイ, イボニシ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) حلزون أو قوقع البحر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮וינקה (פרח)‬
n. - ‮ליטורינה (צדפת מאכל), חלזון-ים‬

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