periwinkles

Noun (1)

periwinkle (plural periwinkles)

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.1652, Nich[olas] Culpeper, The English Physitian: Or An Astrologo-physical Discourse of the Vulgar Herbs of This Nation. […], London: […] Peter Cole, […], →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   myrtle, vinca, creeping myrtle

2. Similar plants of genus Catharanthus.
3. 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...2025 February 21, Leah Dolan, “How the Superman ‘S’ became fashion’s favorite logo”, in CNN

Noun (2)

periwinkle (plural periwinkles)

1. A mollusk of family Littorinidae.
   • He was working a pin into a periwinkle shell, turning it to extract the toothsome morsel of meat.2022, Paul McAuley, Beyond the Burn Line, Gollancz, page 217

   Synonyms:

   winkle

2. (Pacific Northwest US) A caddisfly larva.

See all 6 meanings of periwinkle