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

The wide-ranging menu offers something for everyone, from seafood such as scallops and local mussels to flatbreads and burgers. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Jan. 2026

The comforting space offers fare such as biscuits and gravy at breakfast, Artisan’s Grilled Cheese at lunch and mussels in white wine for dinner. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025

Raw shellfish such as clams, mussels and scallops can contain pathogens picked up from contaminated water. —Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025

Per Corriere della Sera, investigators returned to the family home and seized foods, including mussels, cuttlefish, cod, clams and mushrooms, which were sent to the Molise Zooprophylactic Institute in Rome for testing and potential poisoning. —Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025

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