any of various spiny-shelled marine gastropods of the genus Murex and related genera: formerly used as a source of the dye Tyrian purple
Word origin
C16: from Latin mūrex purple fish; related to Greek muax sea mussel
murex in American English
(ˈmjʊrˌɛks)
nounWord forms: pluralˈmuriˌces (ˈmjuəˌsiz; ˈmjʊrəˌsiz) or ˈmurexes
any of a genus (Murex) of flesh-eating snails, found in warm salt waters and having a rough, spiny shell: some species yield a purple substance formerly valued as a dye
Word origin
ModL < L, the purple fish < IE base *mus > mouse, Gr myax, sea mussel