pilliwinks

English

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pilliwinks

/ˈpɪlɪwɪŋks/ UK
/ˈpɪlɪˌwɪŋks/ UK
/ˈpɪliˌwɪŋks/ US
/ˈpɪlɪwɪŋks/ Scotland

Where it comes from

From Middle English pirewinkes (“instrument of torture for squeezing the thumbs, thumbscrew”) [and other forms]; further origin unknown. It has been suggested that the word is a variant of Middle English pervink, pervinke (“periwinkle (plant; Vinca minor or Vinca major); (figuratively) evil man”), but the Oxford English Dictionary doubts this due to the difference in meaning. Compare Swedish pille-, related to pilla (“fiddle with the fingers”).

noun pinnywinkles

Scotland, historical, plural, plural only A torture device for squeezing the fingers; a thumbscrew. [H]er maiſter to the intent that he might the better trie and finde out the truth of the ſame, did with the help of others, torment her with the torture of the Pilliwinkes upon her fingers, which is a grieuous torture, [...]

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MLA

"pilliwinks." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pilliwinks. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

pilliwinks. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pilliwinks

Chicago

"pilliwinks." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pilliwinks.

BibTeX

@misc{pilliwinks_2026,
  title = {pilliwinks},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pilliwinks},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}