Murex, múricis, pen. cor. Plin. A thelfish, of the licour whereof purple colour was made: the purple colour it selfe.Rubens murex.Virg.Afro murice tinctæ lanæ. Hor. Wooll died of purple colour.Fulgenti murice picta vestis.Virg.Getulo murice tinctæ vestes. Horat. Sidonio murice tincta lana. Tibul. Tyrióque ardebat murice lena.Virg. Murex, pro Purpura interdum accipitur.Virg.A garment of purple.Aurato præfulgens murice. Sil. Goodly to behold with a robe of purple wrought with gold. Murex.Virg.The sharpnesse of a rocke. vt, Acuto in murice remi crepuerunt. Virg. Murices. Curt. Caltrappes lyke three yron prickes so ioyned, that being throne, one alway standeth vpright.Ferreos murices spargere. Val. Max.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
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.