murex: Meaning and Definition of

mu•rex

Pronunciation: (myoor'eks), [key]
— pl. mu•ri•ces mu•rex•es.
  1. any marine gastropod of the genus Murex, common in tropical seas, certain species of which yield the royal purple dye valued by the ancients.
  2. a shell used as a trumpet, as in representations of Tritons in art.
  3. purplish red.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.