murex

mu·rex

 (myo͝or′ĕks)

n. pl. mu·ri·ces (myo͝or′ĭ-sēz′) or mu·rex·es

Any of various predatory marine gastropods of the family Muricidae, having rough spiny shells and including several species formerly used to produce the dye Tyrian purple.

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[New Latin mūrex, from Latin, gastropod producing Tyrian purple, probably of pre-Roman Mediterranean origin.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

murex

(ˈmjʊərɛks)

n, pl murices (ˈmjʊərɪˌsiːz)

(Animals) any of various spiny-shelled marine gastropods of the genus Murex and related genera: formerly used as a source of the dye Tyrian purple

[C16: from Latin mūrex purple fish; related to Greek muax sea mussel]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mu•rex

(ˈmyʊər ɛks)

n., pl. mu•ri•ces (ˈmyʊər əˌsiz) mu•rex•es.

any marine gastropod of the genus Murex, common in tropical seas, certain species of which yield a royal purple dye valued by the ancients.

[1580–90; < New Latin, Latin mūrex the shellfish that yielded Tyrian purple dye]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Translations

murex

[ˈmjʊərɛks] n → murice m

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995