oyster

noun

oys·​ter ˈȯi-stər 

often attributive

1

a

: any of various marine bivalve mollusks (family Ostreidae) that have a rough irregular shell closed by a single adductor muscle and include commercially important shellfish

b

: any of various mollusks resembling or related to the oysters

2

: something that is or can be readily made to serve one's personal ends

the world was her oyster

3

: a small mass of muscle contained in a concavity of the pelvic bone on each side of the back of a fowl

4

: an extremely taciturn person

5

: a grayish-white color

Examples of oyster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Book an affordable room at the beachfront Flamingo Hotel and Tower; hit Shrimp Basket for a budget feast of oysters, wings, and shrimp; and simply bask in the mellow beach vibes. —Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2024

Students gather for mat work at a Pilates studio, and early birds tuck into shellfish at a neighborhood oyster bar. —Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024

There are likely uses of kelp that haven't even been discovered yet, Sue Wicks, kelp farmer and oyster farmer on Long Island, New York, told ABC News. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 2 May 2024

This fine-dining restaurant, which has other locations throughout Southern California, also serves numerous seafood options such as oysters and lobster, and various sides and desserts. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English oistre, borrowed from Anglo-French oistre, ostre, going back to Latin ostrea, ostreum "bivalve mollusk, oyster," borrowed from Greek óstreion, óstreon, of uncertain origin

Note: Greek óstreion has traditionally been taken to be a derivative, with a suffix -ei-, of a stem going back to Indo-European *h₃esth₁-r-, from the base *h₃esth₁- "bone." See note at ostracon.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing oyster

• European flat oyster
• European oyster
• Olympia oyster
• oyster bed
• oyster crab
• oyster cracker
• oyster drill
• oyster mushroom
• oyster plant
• seed oyster
• the world is someone's oyster
• vegetable oyster

Kids Definition

oyster

noun

oys·​ter ˈȯi-stər 

: any of various marine mollusks that include important edible shellfish and have a rough uneven shell made up of two hinged parts and closed by a single muscle