mussel

noun

mus·​sel ˈmə-səl 

1

: a marine bivalve mollusk (especially genus Mytilus) usually having a dark elongated shell

2

: a freshwater bivalve mollusk (as of Unio, Anodonta, or related genera) that is especially abundant in rivers of the central U.S. and has a shell lined with mother-of-pearl

Examples of mussel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shrimp and mussels are a must for her seafood paella, though the queen of home cooking has also used lobster in the past. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026

The standout dinner order is the seafood paella, which arrives sizzling in a hot pan with shrimp, calamari, mussels, market fish, chorizo, and crispy bomba rice. — Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Barnacles, mussels, clams, algae and other warm-seawater-dwelling fauna and flora have latched onto oil tankers hundreds of massive oil tankers anchored in the Persian Gulf over the past several months. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Tiny mineral deposits preserved within the gills appear to have acted as calcium stores, helping developing larvae build their shells — a process similar to what scientists observe in living freshwater mussels today. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English muscle, from Old English muscelle, from Vulgar Latin *muscula, from Latin musculus muscle, mussel

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mussel

• blue mussel
• quagga mussel
• zebra mussel

Rhymes for mussel

• bustle
• hustle
• muscle
• russel
• rustle
• trussell
• tussle
• mofussil

Kids Definition

mussel

noun

mus·​sel ˈməs-əl 

1

: any of various edible saltwater mollusks with a long dark hinged double shell

2

: any of numerous freshwater mollusks of rivers of the central U.S. whose hinged double shells are lined with mother-of-pearl