1. Edible marine gastropod
   "Periwinkles were gathered from the rocky shore for a seafood dish";
   - winkle
    
2. Small edible marine snail; steamed in wine or baked
   "The coastal restaurant offered a dish of periwinkles cooked in garlic butter";
   - winkle
    
3. Commonly cultivated Old World woody herb having large pinkish to red flowers
   "Madagascar periwinkle is grown both as an ornamental and for medicinal purposes";
   - rose periwinkle, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, Cape periwinkle, red periwinkle, cayenne jasmine, Catharanthus roseus, Vinca rosea
    
4. Chiefly trailing poisonous plants with blue flowers
   "Periwinkles covered the ground with their delicate blue blooms"

Derived forms: periwinkles

Type of: herb, herbaceous plant, seafood, seasnail, subshrub, suffrutex

Part of: Catharanthus, genus Catharanthus, genus Littorina, genus Vinca, Littorina, Vinca

Encyclopedia: Periwinkle