Main Entry:

cow·rie

Variant(s):

also cow·ry \ˈkau̇-rē\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural cowries

Etymology:

Hindi & Urdu kauṛī

Date:

1662

: any of various marine gastropods (family Cypraeidae) that are widely distributed in warm seas and have glossy and often brightly colored shells ; also : the shell of a cowrie