COWRIE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cowrie mean? 

• COWRIE (noun)
  The noun COWRIE has 1 sense:

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

  Familiarity information: COWRIE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COWRIE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

cowrie; cowry

Hypernyms ("cowrie" is a kind of...):

gastropod; univalve (a class of mollusks typically having a one-piece coiled shell and flattened muscular foot with a head bearing stalked eyes)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cowrie"):

Cypraea moneta; money cowrie (cowrie whose shell is used for money in parts of the southern Pacific and in parts of Africa)

Cypraea tigris; tiger cowrie (cowrie whose shell is used for ornament)

Holonyms ("cowrie" is a member of...):

Cypraea; genus Cypraea (type genus of the family Cypraeidae: the typical cowries)