murex

noun

mu·​rex ˈmyu̇r-ˌeks 

plural murices ˈmyu̇r-ə-ˌsēz  or murexes

: any of a genus (Murex of the family Muricidae) of marine gastropod mollusks having a rough and often spiny shell, abounding in tropical seas, and yielding a purple dye

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

As each murex produced only a few drops of precious mucus, the manufacture of commercial quantities of Tyrian purple required the harvesting of vast quantities of these creatures. —Mark Woolmer, National Geographic, 24 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, mollusk yielding a purple dye; akin to Greek myak-, myax mussel

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined above