byssus

[ bis-uhs ]

noun

, plural bys·sus·es, bys·si [bis, -ahy].

1. Zoology. a collection of silky filaments by which certain mollusks attach themselves to rocks.
2. an ancient cloth, thought to be of linen, cotton, or silk.

byssus

/ ˈbɪsəs /

noun

1. a mass of strong threads secreted by a sea mussel or similar mollusc that attaches the animal to a hard fixed surface

Other Words From

• bys·sa·ceous [bih-, sey, -sh, uh, s], byssoid adjective
• byssal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of byssus¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek býssos a fine cotton or linen < Semitic; compare Hebrew būts

Word History and Origins

Origin of byssus¹

C17: from Latin, from Greek bussos linen, flax, ultimately of Egyptian origin

Example Sentences

Clean your mussels just before you are ready to cook, because once you yank off that byssus, the mussel may die, and you want to cook them while they are alive.

From Washington Post

The Serica347 also are of a similar kind, and are made of dry byssus, which is obtained from some sort of bark of plants.

From Project Gutenberg

The meaning of the word Byssus has been disputed; some authorities asserting that it includes both flax and cotton fabrics.

From Project Gutenberg

The foot is usually provided with a byssus by which the animal fixes itself to a little projection on the side of its burrow.

From Project Gutenberg

The mantle of the animal is open, and the margins of the lobes fringed; and the small foot spins a powerful byssus.

From Project Gutenberg

The mummy lay on a mattress of striped byssus, the head on a byssus pillow.

From Project Gutenberg