cowrie
or cowry
noun pl. cowries
- 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 (Cypraea moneta), formerly used as currency in parts of Africa and S Asia
See cowrie in American Heritage Dictionary 4
or cow·ry (kouˈrē)
noun pl. cow·ries Any of various tropical marine gastropods of the family Cypraeidae, having glossy, often brightly marked shells, some of which are used as currency in the South Pacific and Africa.
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