cowrie

cowrie Definition

cow·rie (ko̵u′rē)

noun pl. -·ries

any of a number of gastropods (family Cypraeidae) having brightly colored, glossy shells and found in warm seas
the shell of any of these mollusks, esp. the shell of the money cowrie (Cypraea moneta), formerly used as currency in parts of Africa and S Asia

Etymology: Hindi kauṛī < Sans kaparda

cowrie Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

shell: Laura then bought me a small pendant made from a cowrie shell, imported from a far away ocean in olden times.

Browse dictionary entries near cowrie