Added 10 October 2026
oyster
/ˈɔɪ.stə/ noun
In Latin: ostrea Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about oyster at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Any of certain marine bivalve mollusks, especially those of the family Ostreidae (the true oysters), usually found adhering to rocks or other fixed objects in shallow water along the seacoasts, or in brackish water in the mouth of rivers.
- The delicate oyster-shaped morsel of dark meat contained in a small cavity of the bone on each side of the lower part of the back of a fowl.
- Any of the fungi in the genera Pleurotus, Hohenbuehelia, or other related genera.
adjective
verb
- To fish for oysters.
Origin
From Middle English oystre, from Old English ostre, reinforced or superseded by Anglo-Norman oistre, which is from Old French oistre, uistre (compare modern French huître); both lines (Old English and Old French) from Latin ostrea, from Ancient Greek ὄστρεον (óstreon). Doublet of ostro (“a purple dye”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)