noun
- Plural of murex; spiny marine gastropod mollusks, especially those of the genus Murex, historically valued for producing purple dye.
Usage: technical/zoological; historical
Examples
- Ancient Phoenicians harvested murices to extract the precious Tyrian purple dye.
- The museum's collection includes several well-preserved murices from the Mediterranean.
- Murices are characterized by their elaborate spiral shells with prominent spines.
- Divers discovered clusters of murices clinging to the rocky seafloor.