1. adverb. Late means near the end of a day, week, year, or other period of time. It was late in the afternoon. She had to work late at night. His autobiography was written late in life. The case is expected to end late next week. Since late last year the border area has been the scene of heavy fighting.
The cowry was the shell most widely used worldwide as shell money. It is most abundant in the Indian Ocean, and was collected in the Maldive Islands, in Sri Lanka, along the Malabar coast, in Borneo and on other East Indian islands, and in various parts of the African coast from Ras Hafun to Mozambique.
Most seashells come from mollusks, a large group of marine animals including clams, mussels, and oysters, which exude shells as a protective covering. Shells are excreted from the outer surface of the animal called the mantle and are made up of mostly calcium carbonate.