Meaning & use
Dentalia
Last updated
Tusk-shaped shells of the genus Dentalium, historically used as currency, jewelry, or ceremonial objects by various Indigenous peoples of the Pacific coast.
See it in a sentence
Strings of dentalia were once used as a form of currency among coastal tribes of the Pacific Northwest.
The museum displayed necklaces made from dentalia collected over a century ago.
A note on using this word
Plural of 'dentalium,' from Latin 'dens' (tooth), so named for the shell's resemblance to a small tusk or tooth.
Words with a similar meaning
tusk shells
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