cow·rie / ˈkourē/ (also cowry) • n. (pl. -ies) a marine mollusk (genus Cypraea, family Cypraeidae) that has a smooth, glossy, domed shell with a long narrow opening, typically brightly patterned. ∎  the flattened yellowish shell of the money cowrie (C. moneta), formerly used as money in parts of Africa and the Indo-Pacific area.

cowrie (cowry) Gastropod mollusc identified by an ovoid, highly polished shell with a long toothed opening and varied markings. It is found on tropical coral shores. Length: 8.3–152mm (0.33–6in). Family Cypraeidae; more than 160 species, including the map cowry Cypraea mappa.

cowrie shell of a small gastropod, Cypraea moneta. XVII. — Urdu, Hindi kauṛī :- Skr. kaparda-, kapardikā-.