LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

mūrex

mūrex m (genitive mūricis)
Classical[ˈmuː.rɛks]Ecclesiastical[ˈmuː.reks]

Meaning

  1. A shellfish used as a source of the dye Tyrian purple; the purple-fish
  2. Tyrian purple, the purple dye, a purple color, made from the juice of the purple-fish
    induerat Tyriō bis tīnctam mūrice pallamHe had put on his mantle, twice dyed with Tyrian purple.8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 2.107
  3. A sharp murex shell used as a bridle bit.
  4. A pointed rock or stone.
  5. A caltrop.
  6. An iron spike.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemūrexmūricēs
genitivemūricismūricum
dativemūricīmūricibus
accusativemūricemmūricēs
ablativemūricemūricibus
vocativemūrexmūricēs

mūrex, ĭcis, m.
I. The purple-fish, Plin. 9, 36, 60, § 125; Enn. ap. App. Mag. p. 299, 11 (Heduph. v. 11, p. 167 Vahl.): Baianus, Hor. S. 2, 4, 32.—The Tritons used the shell as a tuba, Val. Fl. 3, 726.—The shells were also used for holding liquids, Mart. 3, 82, 27.—And for adorning grottos: summa lacunabant alterno murice conchae, Ov. M. 8, 563.—
II. Transf.
A. The purple dye, purple, made from the juice of the purple-fish: Tyrioque ardebat murice laena, Verg. A. 4, 262.—
B. Of bodies shaped (pointed) like the purplefish.
1. A pointed rock or slone: acuto in murice remi Obnixi crepuere, Verg. A. 5, 205: Cato sternendum forum muricibus censuerat, with small, pointed stones, Plin. 19, 1, 6, § 24.—
2. A sharp murex-shell used for a bridle-bit: acuto murice frenat Delphinas bijuges, Stat. Achill. 1; 221.—
3. A caltrop, with sharp points in every direction: murices ferreos in terram defodisse Dareum, quā hostem equites emissurum esse credebat, Curt. 4, 13, 36; Val. Max. 3, 7, 2.—
4. A spike of iron: armarium muricibus praefixum, Gell. 6, 4, 4.

Origins

Uncertain. Perhaps a derivative of mūs (“mouse”), whence mūsculus (“a saltwater mussel”). Alternatively, together with Ancient Greek μύαξ (múax, “sea mussel”) borrowed from a Mediterranean substrate language.

Descendants
  • Englishmuriciform
  • Englishmuricite
  • Englishmuricoid
  • Catalanmúrex
  • Italianmurice
  • Portuguesemúrice
  • Spanishmúrice
  • Irishmaorach
  • TranslingualMurex

Quick answers

What does mūrex mean in Latin?
mūrex, a noun, means “A shellfish used as a source of the dye Tyrian purple; the purple-fish; Tyrian purple, the purple dye, a purple color, made from the juice of the purple-fish”.
What is the genitive of mūrex?
The genitive singular is mūricis. mūrex is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce mūrex?
In classical Latin, [ˈmuː.rɛks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈmuː.reks].