byssus
[ bis-uhs ]
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.
Origin of byssus
11350–1400; 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, adjective
- byssal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for byssus
byssus
/ (ˈbɪsəs) /
nounplural 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
Origin of byssus
1C17: from Latin, from Greek bussos linen, flax, ultimately of Egyptian origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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