rosy periwinkle

noun

: a commonly cultivated subshrub (Catharanthus roseus synonym Vinca rosea) of the dogbane family that is native to the Old World tropics and is the source of several antineoplastic drugs

called also Madagascar periwinkle, periwinkle

Examples of rosy periwinkle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Decades ago, a US pharmaceutical company developed anticancer drugs with the help of a plant from Madagascar called the rosy periwinkle; the company didn’t share its profits with the people of Madagascar. Benji Jones, Vox, 20 Sep. 2024 Extolling the many benefits of plants, Goodall juxtaposes horticultural history with more recent biomedical innovations, such as the role of rosy periwinkle as a potent weapon against childhood leukemia. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2013

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rosy periwinkle was in 1982

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Cite this Entry

“Rosy periwinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rosy%20periwinkle. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

rosy periwinkle

noun
: a commonly cultivated shrub (Catharanthus roseus synonym Vinca rosea) of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) that is native to the Old World tropics and is the source of several antineoplastic drugs (as vinblastine and vincristine)

called also Madagascar periwinkle, periwinkle

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