winkle

Short for periwinkle.

• Rhymes: -ɪŋkəl

winkle (plural winkles)

1. A periwinkle or its shell, of family Littorinidae.
2. Any one of various marine spiral gastropods, especially, in the United States, either of two species Busycotypus canaliculata and Busycon carica.
   • 1912, Daniel Melancthon Tredwell, Personal Reminiscences of Men and Things on Long Island:

     There were also found fragments of the winkle (Fulgar carica).

   • 1931, Bureau of Fisheries Document, volume 922, page 217:

     The conchs or winkles, Busycon carica (fig. 204, opp. p. 216) and B. canaliculata, ... He gave the estimate of one planter who believed that one winkle was able to destroy a bushel of oysters in a single hour.

   • 1969, Frank E. Firth, The encyclopedia of marine resources, page 139:

     In Connecticut, the so-called "winkle" chowder is made from B. [Busycon] canaliculatum.

   • For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:winkle.
3. (children's slang) The penis, especially that of a boy rather than that of a man.
   • 2004, Robert Priest, How to Swallow a Pig

     After all, he didn't want his winkle to get so big it became unruly and unnatural.

• (Littorinidae): oyster drill
• (Busycon and Busycotypus spp.): Fulgar carica, Busycon canaliculata
• (childish: the penis): See also Thesaurus:penis

winkle (third-person singular simple present winkles, present participle winkling, simple past and past participle winkled)

1. To extract.

• winkle out

• Wilken, welkin