cowrie

Everyday

1. A cowrie is a small sea snail with a smooth, shiny, rounded shell. tree →
2. A cowrie is also the shell of this snail, which was used as money in parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific long ago and is still used in jewellery. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons, cowrie shells are a famous example of early money: people traded goods for them. In art and design they decorate necklaces, bags and clothes. On beaches in Australia and New Zealand children sometimes find cowrie shells. Common phrases: «cowrie shell», «cowrie money», «a string of cowries».

Examples

• She found a tiny cowrie shell on the beach in Queensland. tree →
• Long ago, people in West Africa used cowries as money. tree →
• The necklace was made of white cowrie shells. tree →
• A cowrie shell is smooth and shiny like glass. tree →
• Our teacher showed us a cowrie to explain early money. tree →
• The cowrie snail lives in warm, shallow seas. tree →
• He swapped a bag of cowries for a goat in the trading game. tree →

Note

Plural: cowries. Also spelled «cowry». Say COW-ree (rhymes with «how-ree»). It has nothing to do with cows. In history, cowrie shells were a kind of money, so you could count prices in shells.