Main Entry: bys·sus

Pronunciation: \ˈbi-səs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural bys·sus·es or bys·si \-ˌsī, -(ˌ)sē\

Etymology: Middle English bissus, from Latin byssus, from Greek byssos flax, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew būṣ linen cloth

Date: 14th century

1 : a fine probably linen cloth of ancient times
2 [New Latin, from Latin] : a tuft of long tough filaments by which some bivalve mollusks (as mussels) adhere to a surface