mussel
/ˈmʌsəl/ noun
Forms mussels
- noun A saltwater mussel, usually edible, of the order Mytilida in subclass Pteriomorphia.
- noun A freshwater mussel, usually edible, of the order Unionida in subclass Palaeoheterodonta.
- noun Any of certain other bivalves of somewhat similar appearance, such as the zebra mussel and quagga mussel of the family Dreissenidae in subclass Heterodonta.
Etymology
From Middle English muscle (“mussel”), from Old English muscle, from Proto-West Germanic *muskulā, from Late Latin muscula, from Latin mūsculus (“mussel, muscle”, literally “little mouse”). Doublet of muscle.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Any one of many species of marine bivalve shells of the genus Mytilus, and related genera, of the family Mytidæ. The common mussel (Mytilus edulis; see Illust. under Byssus), and the larger, or horse, mussel (Modiola modiolus), inhabiting the shores both of Europe and America, are edible. The former is extensively used as food in Europe.
- noun Any one of numerous species of Unio, and related fresh-water genera; --called also river mussel. See Naiad, and Unio. Mussel digger (Zoöl.), the grayback whale. See Gray whale, under Gray.
Etymology [See Muscle, 3.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “mussel”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details