murrhine

American  

[mur-in, -ahyn] / ˈmɜr ɪn, -aɪn /

Or murrine

adjective

1. of, relating to, or manufactured of murra.

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murrhine British  

/ -ɪn, ˈmʌraɪn /

adjective

1. of or relating to an unknown substance used in ancient Rome to make vases, cups, etc

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noun

1. Also called: murra.  the substance so used

Etymology

Origin of murrhine

1570–80; < Latin murr ( h ) inus, for Greek mourrínē, equivalent to mórr ( ia ) murra + -inē feminine noun suffix; -ine ¹

Example Sentences

Nero paid three hundred talents for a murrhine vase.

From Project Gutenberg

Sometimes purple glass is used in place of brown, probably with the design of imitating the precious murrhine.

From Project Gutenberg

F. Corsi, the eminent Italian antiquary, held that fluor-spar was the material of the famous murrhine vases.

From Project Gutenberg

"The story is told that when Mark Antony sent him the poison to drink in a murrhine cup, the most valuable article in his collection, Verres drank the poison quickly and dashed the cup upon the marble floor, smashing it into a thousand pieces."

From Time Magazine Archive

They were murrhine cups, brought from Asia at a great price, of mysterious fabrication, into which entered the dust of certain shells, and myrrh, hardened and tinted.

From Project Gutenberg