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byssus
[ bis-uhs ]
/ ˈbɪs əs /
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noun, plural bys·sus·es, bys·si [bis-ahy]. /ˈbɪs aɪ/.
Zoology. a collection of silky filaments by which certain mollusks attach themselves to rocks.
an ancient cloth, thought to be of linen, cotton, or silk.
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Origin of byssus
1350–1400; Middle English <Latin <Greek býssos a fine cotton or linen <Semitic; compare Hebrew būts
OTHER WORDS FROM byssus
bys·sa·ceous [bih-sey-shuhs], /bɪˈseɪ ʃəs/, byssoid, adjectivebyssal, adjectiveWords nearby byssus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use byssus in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for byssus
byssus
/ (ˈbɪsəs) /
noun plural byssuses or byssi (ˈbɪsaɪ)
a mass of strong threads secreted by a sea mussel or similar mollusc that attaches the animal to a hard fixed surface
Word Origin for byssus
C17: from Latin, from Greek bussos linen, flax, ultimately of Egyptian origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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