cow·rie or cow·ry (kou r )n. 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. [Hindi kau   , from Sanskrit kapardik , diminutive of kaparda , shell, of Dravidian origin.] |
cowrie, cowry [ˈkaʊrɪ]
n pl -ries
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any marine gastropod mollusc of the mostly tropical family Cypraeidae, having a glossy brightly marked shell with an elongated opening
2. (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Currencies) the shell of any of these molluscs, esp the shell of Cypraea moneta (money cowry), used as money in parts of Africa and S Asia
[from Hindi kaurī, from Sanskrit kaparda, of Dravidian origin; related to Tamil kōtu shell]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  cowrie - any of numerous tropical marine gastropods of the genus Cypraea having highly polished usually brightly marked shellsgastropod, univalve - a class of mollusks typically having a one-piece coiled shell and flattened muscular foot with a head bearing stalked eyes Cypraea, genus Cypraea - type genus of the family Cypraeidae: the typical cowries Cypraea moneta, money cowrie - cowrie whose shell is used for money in parts of the southern Pacific and in parts of Africa Cypraea tigris, tiger cowrie - cowrie whose shell is used for ornament |
Translations
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