zebra mussel

noun

: a chiefly freshwater Eurasian lamellibranch mollusk (Dreissena polymorpha) that was accidentally introduced into the Great Lakes and has spread to other waterways where it colonizes and clogs water intake pipes and competes with native fish for food

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Moreover, the zebra mussel has added up to costly problems by blocking up water intake pipes for power plants. Juanpablo Ramirez-franco, Journal Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2022

First came the zebra mussel, carried in by overseas freighters sailing up the St. Lawrence Seaway. jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2021

Invasive quagga and zebra mussel numbers have exploded since the early 1990s, fundamentally altering the way life works in Lake Erie. jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2021

This is a problem that has not been remedied since the zebra mussel's discovery. jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2021

Daryl Gohl, group leader of the University of Minnesota Genomics Center Innovation Lab, was among the researchers who sequenced the genome of the zebra mussel, published in 2019, and is now working on the RNAi project. Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, 30 July 2021

But trading Bryant or Báez while the Cubs are in contention would make Hoyer about as popular in Chicago as a zebra mussel. Paul Sullivan, chicagotribune.com, 31 May 2021

As of Thursday, pet stores in more than 30 states found the invasive zebra mussel hidden among moss balls on their shelves. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Mar. 2021

The zebra mussel is native to the eastern European region, in the Black and Caspian seas. Ayana Archie, The Courier-Journal, 25 Mar. 2021

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Word History

Etymology

so named from a comparison of the irregular dark striping on the shell to a zebra's stripes

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above