oyster

noun

oys·​ter ˈȯi-stər How to pronounce oyster (audio)
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 According to the pair, McConnell cooked more often, but even then seldomly, in the form of occasional grilling for Sunday dinners or making oysters for Thanksgiving. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Read Next California Raw oysters linked to norovirus outbreak in California. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 25 Feb. 2024 For remote workers, the world is your oyster — and also your office. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2024 And that’s what those unharvested oysters did over all those months. Louise Schiavone, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 An elaborate place setting might call for a total of nine forks, spoons and knives, each with a specialized mission (e.g., fish, entree, salad, soup, oysters, cake) and alignment around the plate. Ligaya Mishan Kyoko Hamada, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Fried and baked fish, cheese pizza, oysters, and sides. The Courier-Journal, 12 Feb. 2024 There was Ringo Starr, wailing away on his Ludwig Downbeat oyster black pearl drum kit. Adam Bell, Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024 Suppose that the aforementioned couple forgot what their oyster triggering was all about. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oyster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of oyster was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near oyster

Cite this Entry

“Oyster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oyster. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

oyster

noun
oys·​ter ˈȯi-stər How to pronounce oyster (audio)
: 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

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