cowrie

cow·rie

or cow·ry C0710300 (kou′rē)n. pl. cow·ries Any of various marine gastropods of the family Cypraeidae of tropical and subtropical seas, having glossy, often colorfully patterned shells, some of which were formerly used as currency in parts of the South Pacific and Africa.

[Hindi kauṛī, from Sanskrit kapardikā, diminutive of kapardaḥ, shell, of Dravidian origin.]

cowrie

(ˈkaʊrɪ) or

cowry

n, pl -ries1. (Animals) any marine gastropod mollusc of the mostly tropical family Cypraeidae, having a glossy brightly marked shell with an elongated opening2. (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[C17: from Hindi kaurī, from Sanskrit kaparda, of Dravidian origin; related to Tamil kōtu shell]

cow•rie

or cow•ry

(ˈkaʊ ri)

n., pl. -ries. 1. any marine gastropod mollusk of the family Cypraeidae, having a glossy oval shell with a slitlike toothed opening. 2. the shell of such a gastropod, sometimes used as currency in Asia and Africa. [1655–65; < Hindi kaurī]

cow·rie

(kou′rē) Any of various tropical marine mollusks having glossy, often brightly marked shells that are rounded on one side and relatively flat on the other. The shells have been used as currency in the South Pacific and Africa.

Thesaurus

Noun

cowrie - any of numerous tropical marine gastropods of the genus Cypraea having highly polished usually brightly marked shellscowrygastropod, univalve - a class of mollusks typically having a one-piece coiled shell and flattened muscular foot with a head bearing stalked eyesCypraea, genus Cypraea - type genus of the family Cypraeidae: the typical cowriesCypraea moneta, money cowrie - cowrie whose shell is used for money in parts of the southern Pacific and in parts of AfricaCypraea tigris, tiger cowrie - cowrie whose shell is used for ornament

Translations

cowrie

cowry

(both: kou`rē), common name applied to marine gastropods belonging to the family Cypraeidae, a well-developed family of marine snails found in the tropics. Cowries are abundant in the Indian Ocean, particularly in the East Indies and the Maldive Islands. Species of cowries inhabit the waters around S California and the warm waters southward from the SE United States. They characteristically have massive, smooth, shiny shells with striking patterns and colors. The upper surface is round and the lower flat. When alive, the cowrie's shell is usually concealed by its large mantle; as the cowrie creeps along the ocean bottom, the mantle envelops the shell. As the body grows, the inner whorls of the shell are dissolved, and the dissolved lime is then used to enlarge the outer whorl of the shell. Some shells have been used for money, e.g., those of the money cowrie, Cypraea moneta. The shells of various species are used also for personal adornment and in some primitive cultures indicate the rank of the wearer. The smooth brown cowrie, Cypraea spadicea, inhabits the protected outer coast and mud flats in S California, often as far north as Newport, Calif. The most prized cowrie for a shell collector is the tiger cowrie, Cypraea tigris, which grows to 4 in. (10 cm) in length and whose shell is considered by some to be the most lustrous shell of the South Pacific. Having the appearance of a tiger skin, it is white with many brown spots. Cowries are classified in the phylum MolluscaMollusca
, taxonomic name for the one of the largest phyla of invertebrate animals (Arthropoda is the largest) comprising more than 50,000 living mollusk species and about 35,000 fossil species dating back to the Cambrian period.
..... Click the link for more information. , class Gastropoda, order Mesogastropoda, family Cypraeidae.

cowrie

, cowry1. any marine gastropod mollusc of the mostly tropical family Cypraeidae, having a glossy brightly marked shell with an elongated opening 2. 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

Acronym

Definition

COWRIE➣Collaborative Offshore Wind Research Into the Environment (UK)

cowrie

cow·rie

cowrie

cowry

cow•rie

or cow•ry

cow·rie

cowrie

cowrie

cowry

cowrie

COWRIE

cowrie

Synonyms for cowrie

noun any of numerous tropical marine gastropods of the genus Cypraea having highly polished usually brightly marked shells

Synonyms

Related Words