murex

Any of various predatory marine gastropods of the family Muricidae, having rough spiny shells and including several species formerly used to produce the dye Tyrian purple.

A shell used as a trumpet, as in representations of tritons, in art.

. [capitalized] The typical genus of Mùricidæ.

A species of this genus.

Pl. murexes or murices (-rek-sez,-ri-sēz). A caltrop.