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]