oyster

noun, often attributive

oys·ter | \ ˈȯi-stər

Definition of oyster

1a : 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

Pair your aperitif with oysters (obviously) and a lobster roll. — Leena Kim, Town & Country, "10 Best Places to Drink Aperol Spritzes This Summer," 3 July 2019 My favorite was the El Pulpo ceviche, with shrimp, octopus, oysters and Mexican scallops. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Eating my way through Mercado del Barrio: This is what America tastes like," 20 June 2019 So too is the menu: Shellfish towers loaded with oysters (there will be 16 varieties available), clams, mussels, shrimp, king crab legs and Maine lobster. — Greg Morago, Houston Chronicle, "Loch Bar brings seafood tavern concept to River Oaks," 21 June 2019 Pair your wine with oysters or pizza on Friday evenings from 4 to 8 p.m. and weekends from noon to 4 p.m. — Nora Heston Tarte, The Mercury News, "California wine country: 4 great Lodi wineries," 6 June 2019 This summer, Krista Tripp, 33, is buying a small oyster farm in Spruce Head to complement her lobster fishing. — New York Times, "Climate Change Brought a Lobster Boom. Now It Could Cause a Bust.," 21 June 2018 That’s especially bad for oysters and other plants and animals anchored to a particular spot. — Washington Post, "Mississippi seeks seafood disaster amid spillway complaints," 8 June 2019 The new concept focuses on Gulf Coast oysters and seafood. — Darla Guillen Gilthorpe, Houston Chronicle, "Montrose to debut Tex-Mex restaurant Cadente in mid-July," 4 June 2019 Think of the foods that are abundant in the Pacific Northwest: salmon, halibut, cod, shellfish, clams, mussels, oysters, seaweed. — Sandy M. Fernandez, Woman's Day, "How Three Women Are Pioneering to End Hunger in the U.S.," 14 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oyster.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

11 Jul 2019

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

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More Definitions for oyster

oyster

noun

English Language Learners Definition of oyster

: a type of shellfish that has a rough shell with two parts and that is eaten both cooked and raw

See the full definition for oyster in the English Language Learners Dictionary

oyster

noun

oys·ter | \ ˈȯi-stər

Kids Definition of oyster

: a shellfish that lives on stony bottoms ( oyster beds ) in shallow seawater, has a rough grayish shell made up of two hinged parts, and is often used for food