How to Use cowrie in a Sentence

cowrie

noun
Definition of cowrienext
  • Once a form of currency in West Africa, the cowrie is now a symbol of abundance.
    — Samantha Lawyer, Woman's Day, 17 Aug. 2022
  • Miles of white beaches, dotted with sea-glass and sculptural cowrie shells, are edged with turquoise seas of brilliant hues.
    — Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2021
  • Patterns made in a joyful color palette and cowrie shell details pay homage to South Africa.
    — Amanda Randone, refinery29.com, 13 Apr. 2023
  • His suits are African-themed, covered in cowrie shells and beads, with an elaborate warrior-style mask that covers his face.
    — Washington Post, 23 May 2022
  • The Ngady Mwaash mask, with its beadwork and cowrie shell accents, can indicate the wearer’s class and rank in society.
    — Kimi Robinson, azcentral, 13 Feb. 2020
  • Nestled in their box, the cowries reminded me of a child’s marble collection.
    — Sarah Kaplan, The Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2017
  • This includes designs inspired by the landscapes of the Caribbean and natural objects such as leaves and cowrie shells.
    — Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2021
  • The ancient Chinese were among those who used cowrie shells, which were prized for their beauty as materials for jewelry, to make payments.
    — National Geographic, 20 Mar. 2017
  • Nearly eight months pregnant, Williams wears a stretchy dress with nautical stripes, her hair exquisitely cornrowed, with red and gold beads and cowries, her pearlized nails the color of pink champagne.
    — Mario Testino, Vogue, 15 Aug. 2017
  • The company also offers candles, corporate gifting, as well as jewelry — like this bralette made of cowrie shells that would be the coolest touch to your spring break beach looks. 14.
    — Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2023
  • Her recurring use of cowrie shells, for instance—like on her Come & Go & Come hoops—traces back to her African heritage, and touches on an affirmation that has guided her throughout life.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2020
  • Adding cowrie shells, Berber babouches and obscure intellectual allusions to the mix felt somehow forced.
    — Guy Trebay, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2023
  • In the gallery here is its Venice counterpart, another huge vessel studded menacingly with cowrie shells.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023
  • Their suits — dripping with feathers, sequins, faux gemstones, pearls, cowrie shells, velvet, satin, and other materials — take the better part of a year to construct by hand and can weigh up to 150 pounds and cost thousands of dollars.
    — Jill K. Robinson, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2023
  • But why gold? Had history worked out differently, the dollar might have been pegged to cowrie shells, peppercorns, or giant stone disks, all of which, like gold, have served as money at one time or another.
    — Gwynn Guilford, Quartz, 3 July 2019
  • Everyday objects had long served the same purpose, but coins were more durable than the cowrie shells of Africa and more portable than the fei stones of Micronesia, although less delicious than the cocoa seeds of Central America.
    — Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 July 2021
  • Money was also a means of accounting for debts; easier still than using cowrie shells would be to take the grain now, get some notches on a tally stick, and later provide llamas, or grain, or whatever was promised to pay off the debt.
    — James MacKintosh, WSJ, 4 July 2021
  • Every element is a way to share Hawaii’s history—from hapu‘u (tree fern), once a famine food for ancient people, to octopus, caught using a traditional lure involving a tiger cowrie shell.
    — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2022
  • But, whether beaded or wood, leopard motif or cowrie, Bamileke stools are impressively constructed, beautifully designed and will make any interior feel like it’s fit for a Fon.
    — Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason, House Beautiful, 24 Aug. 2021
  • The cowrie shells represent island groups, not individual islands.
    — Stephen E. Nash, Discover Magazine, 29 July 2016
  • Traditional troupes dressed in African cloth and cowrie beads, concluded the shows each night – a reiteration of Tassembédo’s belief that traditional dance should inform African experiments in modern dance.
    — Clair MacDougall, Quartz Africa, 3 Feb. 2020
  • As documented on Haddow’s personal blog, skulls covered with plaster to resemble living people, their eye sockets decorated with cowrie shells and other ornaments, represent just one example of secondary burial rites practiced at Çatalhöyük.
    — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 16 Dec. 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cowrie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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