oyster

noun

oys·​ter ˈȯi-stər 

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

And then there’s the new DineAlley, which curates private culinary journeys across the Tasman Peninsula, giving guests behind-the-scenes access to working farms, vineyards, oyster sheds and distilleries that are otherwise difficult to visit on your own. —Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Dishes at Farmhouse by Syrco, currently closed but set to reopen in September, incorporate as much local produce as possible like oysters from Dibba Bay on the UAE’s east coast, local burrata, and Al Wadi desert aloe vera. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Jan. 2026

Chef Annie Ng hosts this event that includes the Phoenix ramen bowl for $18 that features shoyo broth topped with seitan, corn, bean sprouts, green onions, bamboo shoots, a soft egg and seaweed, with an optional upgrade with king oyster and shiitake mushrooms for $5. —Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 28 Jan. 2026

There are typically more than 20 varieties of oysters on the menu, including several from the region, such as Peconic Gold from Long Island. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2026

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

Phrases Containing oyster

• European flat oyster
• European oyster
• Olympia oyster
• oyster bed
• oyster crab
• oyster cracker
• oyster drill
• oyster mushroom
• oyster plant
• seed oyster
• the world is someone's oyster
• vegetable oyster

Rhymes for oyster

• cloister
• moister
• royster

Kids Definition

oyster

noun

oys·​ter ˈȯi-stər 

: 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