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definitions

oyster

[ oi-ster ]
/ ˈɔɪ stər /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR oyster ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of several edible, marine, bivalve mollusks of the family Ostreidae, having an irregularly shaped shell, occurring on the bottom or adhering to rocks or other objects in shallow water.
the oyster-shaped bit of dark meat in the front hollow of the side bone of a fowl.
Slang. a closemouthed or uncommunicative person, especially one who keeps secrets well.
something from which a person may extract or derive advantage: The world is my oyster.
oyster white.

verb (used without object)

to dredge for or otherwise take oysters.

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RELATED WORDS

dusty, drab, grey, silvery, clam, crustacean, mollusk, snail, scallop, conch, crawfish, prawn, shrimp, lobster, mussel, stone, lead, slate, neutral, pearly

Nearby words

  1. oyelet,
  2. oyer,
  3. oyer and terminer,
  4. oyez,
  5. oyo,
  6. oyster bay,
  7. oyster bed,
  8. oyster cap,
  9. oyster catcher,
  10. oyster crab

Origin of oyster

1325–75; Middle English oistre < Middle French < Latin ostrea < Greek óstreon; see ostracize
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for oyster

British Dictionary definitions for oyster

oyster

/ (ˈɔɪstə) /

noun

  1. any edible marine bivalve mollusc of the genus Ostrea, having a rough irregularly shaped shell and occurring on the sea bed, mostly in coastal waters
  2. (as modifier)oyster farm; oyster knife
any of various similar and related molluscs, such as the pearl oyster and the saddle oyster (Anomia ephippium)
the oyster-shaped piece of dark meat in the hollow of the pelvic bone of a fowl
something from which advantage, delight, profit, etc, may be derivedthe world is his oyster
informal a very uncommunicative person

verb

(intr) to dredge for, gather, or raise oysters

Word Origin for oyster

C14 oistre, from Old French uistre, from Latin ostrea, from Greek ostreon; related to Greek osteon bone, ostrakon shell
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
Word Origin and History for oyster

oyster

n.

early 14c., from Old French oistre (Modern French huître), from Latin ostrea, plural or fem. of ostreum "oyster," from Greek ostreon, from PIE *ost- "bone" (see osseous). Related to Greek ostrakon "hard shell" and to osteon "bone."

Why then the world's mine Oyster, which I, with sword will open. [Shakespeare, "The Merry Wives of Windsor," II.ii.2]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with oyster

oyster

see world is one's oyster.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.