oyster

noun, often attributive oys·ter \ ˈȯi-stər \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of oyster

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

See oyster defined for English-language learners

See oyster defined for kids

Recent Examples of oyster from the Web

Recommended Dishes Blowfish à la diable; oysters and chipolatas; brouillade with snails; duck frites; rotisserie lobster; calf’s liver; artichoke tagine; mille-feuille; chocolate palette.

— New York Times, "It’s Not Fake French, It’s Frenchette," 10 July 2018
Happy hour is served daily from 3 to 6 p.m. and includes $1 oysters and $2.50 domestic drafts and bottles.

— joyce smith, kansascity, "Summit Group's new Lee's Summit restaurant brings seafood boils, lobster rolls," 9 July 2018
There are about 20 types of jook with add-ons, including crabmeat or oyster and mushroom.

— kellie hwang, azcentral, "It's National Fried Chicken Day! Phoenix restaurants for best fried chicken," 6 July 2018
Beyond the public health threats, the unsightly blooms have triggered fish kills and wiped out oysters and sea grass in past years.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Massive and toxic algae bloom threatens Florida coasts with another lost summer," 29 June 2018
The menu at the new Irish Channel location offers fried seafood, boiled seafood by the pound, po-boys, charbroiled oysters and even barbecue shrimp tacos.

— todd a. price, NOLA.com, "Deanie's Seafood opens Magazine Street location," 5 June 2018
This quaint coastal hub has more to offer than oysters and lighthouses—though visitors should absolutely slurp the former (Eventide Oyster Co. serves 12 local varieties) and Instagram the latter (Portland Head Light is postcard perfect).

— mackenzie schmidt, PEOPLE.com, "The 10 Hottest Foodie Cities in America—and Everything to Eat When You Get There," 30 May 2018
Expansive blackboards outline the extensive bourbon and whiskey offerings and a chalkboard is updated daily with the various oysters on hand, ready to be shucked bar-side.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Try one of these top 13 best-reviewed Louisville restaurants of 2018," 15 June 2018
Rhode Island and Washington state also supply aquacultured seafood, such as oysters and mussels.

— robin mcdowell, Washington Post, "AP Investigation: Fish billed as local isn’t always local," 14 June 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.

Origin and Etymology of oyster

Middle English oistre, from Anglo-French, from Latin ostrea, from Greek ostreon; akin to Greek ostrakon shell, osteon bone — more at osseous

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

OYSTER Defined for English Language Learners

oyster

noun

Definition of oyster for English Language Learners

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

OYSTER Defined for Kids

oyster

noun oys·ter \ ˈȯi-stər \

Definition of oyster for Students

: 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