oyster
[ oi-ster ]
/ ˈɔɪ stər /
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.
verb (used without object)
to dredge for or otherwise take oysters.
Origin of oyster
Words nearby oyster
oyelet,
oyer,
oyer and terminer,
oyez,
oyo,
oyster,
oyster bay,
oyster bed,
oyster cap,
oyster crab,
oyster cracker
Example sentences from the Web for oyster
British Dictionary definitions for oyster
oyster
/ (ˈɔɪstə) /
noun
- 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
- (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 derived
the 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
Idioms and Phrases with oyster
oyster
see world is one's oyster.