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

Infiniti showed off the Prototype 10 at the Quail, an ancillary show of exotic cars held on a Carmel-by-the-Sea property, where sunshine, champagne, and oysters are plentiful. — Tamara Warren, The Verge, "Monterey Car Week is where the past and future of automobiles collide," 29 Aug. 2018 Raw Canadian oysters are likely behind a norovirus outbreak that has both Canadian and American health officials warning consumers to use caution. — Jamie Ducharme, Time, "Canadian Raw Oysters Are Behind a Norovirus Outbreak in California," 3 May 2018 But the restaurant was pitched as an all-day affair, cafe by morning, wine hangout by night, with oysters and French fries available as early as 8 a.m.. — Michael Russell, OregonLive.com, "Channeling Paris, Canard opens next door to Le Pigeon tonight," 16 Apr. 2018 USA TODAY Shucked-to-order oysters are now on the menu on a Royal Caribbean ship. — Gene Sloan, USA TODAY, "First look: Hooked Seafood on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas," 11 Apr. 2018 For example, oysters are a rich source of zinc, which appears to play a role in regulating testosterone levels. — Lisa Drayer, CNN, "Can the foods you eat enhance your sex life?," 8 Mar. 2018 The crispy fried oysters are a great case in point, with soy aioli and Manchego cheese. — Paul Oswell, Condé Nast Traveler, "21 Best Restaurants in New Orleans," 28 Feb. 2018 The 71-year-old man ate the oysters on July 8 at a Sarasota restaurant, which health officials did not identify, and died two days later. — Fox News, "Flesh-eating bacteria in raw oysters kill Florida man, health officials say," 18 July 2018 The oysters are part of a plan to create oyster beds. — Lara Korte, WSJ, "Seafood Restaurants’ Leftover Shells to Become ‘Living Barrier Reef’ on Long Island," 14 July 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

21 Mar 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