# winkle

/ˈwɪŋkəɫ/ (US) · /wˈɪŋkəl/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/winkle
Updated: 2026-05-30

## Definition

a small sea snail that people sometimes eat. It has a hard, spiral shell and lives on rocks by the ocean.

For teachers: a small, edible marine gastropod mollusc with a turbinate shell, commonly found on rocky shores. Often referred to more specifically as a periwinkle.

## Examples

- We spent the afternoon picking winkles from the rocks.
- The seaside stall sold small paper cones filled with boiled winkles, which customers ate using a pin to extract the meat.
- Ecologists monitored the winkle population along the shoreline to assess the impact of rising water temperatures on the local intertidal biodiversity.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used in British English; the full form 'periwinkle' is more frequent in scientific or international contexts.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.