Periwinkle \Per"i*win`kle\, n. [From AS. pinewincla a shellfish,
in which pine- is fr. L. pina, pinna, a kind of mussel, akin
to Gr. ?. Cf. {Winkle}.] (Zool.)
Any small marine gastropod shell of the genus {Littorina}.
The common European species ({Littorina littorea}), in Europe
extensively used as food, has recently become naturalized
abundantly on the American coast. See {Littorina}.
[1913 Webster]
Note: In America the name is often applied to several large
univalves, as {Fulgur carica}, and {Fulgur
canaliculata}.
[1913 Webster]