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murex

[ myoor-eks ]
/ ˈmyʊər ɛks /

noun, plural mu·ri·ces [myoor-uh-seez], /ˈmyʊər əˌsiz/, mu·rex·es.

any marine gastropod of the genus Murex, common in tropical seas, certain species of which yield the royal purple dye valued by the ancients.
a shell used as a trumpet, as in representations of Tritons in art.
purplish red.

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Origin of murex

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

Words nearby murex

Murdoch, murdrum, mure, murein, Mures, murex, murexide, murexide test, Murfreesboro, murgeon, Murghob
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for murex

British Dictionary definitions for murex

murex
/ (ˈmjʊərɛks) /

noun plural murices (ˈmjʊərɪˌsiːz)

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 for murex

C16: from Latin mūrex purple fish; related to Greek muax sea mussel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012