winkle

(also ‘periwinkle’)

‘Winkle’ or ‘periwinkle’ can mean:

[A]

{name of a colour}

a shade of blue-violet colour, also called ‘lavender blue’, and is considered a ‘pastel indigo’

[B]

{in botany – relating to plants} (commonly called ‘periwinkle’)

A kind of plant – ever-green herb

winkle plant

The common or Madagascan periwinkle has been used as a folk remedy (country medicine) for several minor and major medical complaints.  People from different parts of the world have used different parts – flower, leaves, stems – of the periwinkle in treating such diseases as diabetes (sugar complaint), wasp sting allergy; to stop bleeding from wounds and cuts; for breathing complaints, such as coughs, sore throat, lung congestion, etc., and for eye irritation and inflammation.  It has had a mythological reputation as a ‘magic plant’ which drives away evil spirits, and is also called ‘violet of the sorcerers’ (= people with magical or evil powers)!

[C]

{in zoology – relating to animals} (also called ‘periwinkle’, ‘periwinkle snail’)

a kind of animal – salt water mollusc – univalve (= single shell) shellfish – with a soft body in a hard cone-shaped, spiral, grey, white or black or other colours and banded, depending on the habitat and diet, with a pair of tentacles, a broad, muscular foot-like organ to move from place to place and also to attach itself to hard surfaces; size: (shell size) the largest about 2 inches in length, 2 inches in height and 25-45 grams in weight; feeds on (eats) algae, scraped off the rocks, with their rough tongue, called ‘radula’; lives for 5-10 years (much longer in captivity); about 80 (?) species, found in the intertidal waves of most waters of the world

Special Features:

Some species of periwinkle snail have been eaten by people, especial people from European countries; and the shells of most periwinkles have been used as ornaments.

Figures of Speech:

1.

to winkle (verb)  =

(a)  to get some information from somebody, usually by force

(b)  to move (a person or thing) from a place or position, usually by force

(c)  to give out light in a flickering manner, like a star twinkling

3.

winkling  =  the act of forcing out an adamant tenant

4.

winkle out  =  to extract money, information, confession, etc

5.

winkle-pickers  =  shoes with pointed toes

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