byssus

[ bis-uh s ]

/ ˈbɪs əs /

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

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek býssos a fine cotton or linen < Semitic; compare Hebrew būts

bys·sa·ceous

[bih-sey-shuh s] /bɪˈseɪ ʃəs/, bys·soid, adjective bys·sal, adjective

The byssus is unknown to us, but the stuffs of Lyons are more valuable.

A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10) |Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
The mummy lay on a mattress of striped byssus, the head on a byssus pillow.

The Tour |Louis Couperus
Lima; members of this genus form a nest by means of the byssus, or swim by clapping the valves of the shell together.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 1 |Various
The meaning of the word Byssus has been disputed; some authorities asserting that it includes both flax and cotton fabrics.

Needlework As Art |Marian Alford

The margins of the mantle are doubly fringed, and the byssus is extremely powerful.

The Sea Shore |William S. Furneaux

byssus

/ (ˈbɪsəs) /

a mass of strong threads secreted by a sea mussel or similar mollusc that attaches the animal to a hard fixed surface

C17: from Latin, from Greek bussos linen, flax, ultimately of Egyptian origin