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 times2 [New Latin, from Latin] : a tuft of long tough filaments by which some bivalve mollusks (as mussels) adhere to a surface