The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
n. 1. Any of several shrubby, trailing, evergreen plants of the genus Vinca, especially V. minor, having glossy, dark green, opposite leaves and flowers with a blue, funnel-shaped corolla. 2. Any of several erect herbs of the genus Catharanthus, especially C. roseus, having flowers with a rose-pink or white salverform corolla and a closed throat. 3. A pale purplish blue. [Middle English pervinkle, diminutive of pervinke, from Old English pervince, from Late Latin (vinca) pervinca, alteration (perhaps influenced by Latin pervincere, to conquer completely) of Latin vicapervica, perhaps originally a magical verbal formula (the use of the periwinkle in magical rituals being known later from medieval European traditions), perhaps akin to pervicus, stubborn (per-, intensive pref.; see PER- + vincere, vic-, to conquer; see VICTOR) or to vincīre, to bind together, hold fast, and vicia, vetch; see VETCH.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.