murex

noun

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mu·rex | \ ˈmyu̇r-ˌeks

plural murices\ ˈmyu̇r-ə-ˌsēz

\ or murexes

Definition of murex

: 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

Examples of murex in a Sentence

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

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'murex.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.