cowrie
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Mid-17th century, borrowed from Hindi कौड़ी (kauṛī).
Pronunciation
Noun
cowrie (plural cowries)
- A small gastropod (Cypraea moneta) common in the Indian Ocean; its shell.
- (by extension) Any gastropod of the genus Cypraea; its shell.
- (by extension) Any gastropod of the family Cypraeidae; its shell.
Synonyms
- (C. moneta): money cowrie
- (shell of C. moneta): shell money, wampum
Translations
C. moneta
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any member of the genus Cypraea
|
References
- “cowrie | cowry, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1893.