periwinkle
noun/ˈperiwɪŋkl/
/ˈperiwɪŋkl/
- [countable, uncountable] a small plant that grows along the ground
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- (British English also winkle)[countable] a small shellfish, like a snail, that can be eaten
Word Originsense 1 late Old English peruince, from late Latin pervinca, reinforced in Middle English by Anglo-Norman French pervenke. The change of -v- to -w- and the addition of -le seem to have occurred before the appearance of periwinkle ‘winkle’.sense 2 mid 16th cent.: of unknown origin.
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