byssus

[bis-uhs]

noun

plural

byssuses, byssi 

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 Word Forms

• byssaceous adjective
• byssoid adjective
• byssal 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

Using a fibrous anchor called a byssus, Dreissenid mussels contribute to biofouling on surfaces and obstruct intake structures in power stations and water treatment plants.

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Looking to nature for inspiration, the McGill-led research zeroed in on the marine mussel byssus, a fibrous holdfast, which these bivalve mollusks use to anchor themselves in seashore habitats.

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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.

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The British admiral Horatio Nelson wrote of his intention to send his lover, Emma Hamilton, a pair of gloves made from byssus.

Read more on The Guardian

Pull out the tough fibrous beards or “byssus” protruding from between the tightly closed shells.

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