PERIWINKLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does periwinkle mean? 

• PERIWINKLE (noun)
  The noun PERIWINKLE has 4 senses:

1. chiefly trailing poisonous plants with blue flowers

2. commonly cultivated Old World woody herb having large pinkish to red flowers

3. small edible marine snail; steamed in wine or baked

4. edible marine gastropod

  Familiarity information: PERIWINKLE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PERIWINKLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Chiefly trailing poisonous plants with blue flowers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("periwinkle" is a kind of...):

subshrub; suffrutex (low-growing woody shrub or perennial with woody base)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "periwinkle"):

myrtle; Vinca minor (widely cultivated as a groundcover for its dark green shiny leaves and usually blue-violet flowers)

large periwinkle; Vinca major (plant having variegated foliage and used for window boxes)

Holonyms ("periwinkle" is a member of...):

genus Vinca; Vinca (periwinkles: low creeping evergreen perennials)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Commonly cultivated Old World woody herb having large pinkish to red flowers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

Cape periwinkle; Catharanthus roseus; cayenne jasmine; Madagascar periwinkle; old maid; periwinkle; red periwinkle; rose periwinkle; Vinca rosea

Hypernyms ("periwinkle" is a kind of...):

herb; herbaceous plant (a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests)

Holonyms ("periwinkle" is a member of...):

Catharanthus; genus Catharanthus (small genus of erect annual or perennial herbs native to Madagascar; widely naturalized in the tropics; formerly included in genus Vinca)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Small edible marine snail; steamed in wine or baked

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

periwinkle; winkle

Hypernyms ("periwinkle" is a kind of...):

seafood (edible fish (broadly including freshwater fish) or shellfish or roe etc)

Holonyms ("periwinkle" is a substance of...):

periwinkle; winkle (edible marine gastropod)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Edible marine gastropod

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

periwinkle; winkle

Hypernyms ("periwinkle" is a kind of...):

seasnail (any of several creeping marine gastropods with a spirally coiled shell: whelks; tritons; moon shells; neritids)

Meronyms (substance of "periwinkle"):

periwinkle; winkle (small edible marine snail; steamed in wine or baked)

Holonyms ("periwinkle" is a member of...):

genus Littorina; Littorina (type genus of the family Littorinidae: periwinkles)