oyster

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a marine bivalve mollusk with a rough, irregular shell

   The oyster closes its shell tightly when disturbed.

2. 2
   noun

   the soft edible flesh of this mollusk

   She ordered a plate of oysters with lemon.

3. 3
   noun

   a small tender piece of dark meat on either side of a cooked bird's backbone

   The cook removed the oyster from the back of the roasted chicken.

4. 4
   verb

   to gather or fish for oysters

   Local crews oyster in the bay during the permitted season.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Oyster ultimately goes back to Greek ostreon. That word was related to Greek ostrakon, meaning “shell” or “tile,” which is also the source associated with ostracize.

From Middle English oystre, continuing Old English ostre and reinforced by Anglo-Norman and Old French oistre. These forms derive from Latin ostrea, from Ancient Greek ostreon ("oyster"). The poultry sense comes from the small shell-shaped muscle beside a bird's backbone.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary