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

Come early evening, Stinky's Fish Camp, a Santa Rosa Beach standout for Gulf-to-table cuisine, was an essential stop—locals rave about its fried oyster sandwich. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

According to the Miami Herald, the size of the oyster reef has dropped from 2,000 to less than 100 acres. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2026

More than 600 species of fossils from the Miocene era have been identified at the park, including Chesapectens, Ecphora, shark teeth, and Miocene-era oyster shells. — Katie Riley, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026

Towards the end of the episode, Abby (Hall) and Andrew Borden (Hunnam) get very sick after eating spoiled oysters — projectile vomiting and soiling their undergarments in the dining room. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 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