51Թ

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View synonyms for

oyster

[ oi-ster ]

noun

  1. 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.
  2. the oyster-shaped bit of dark meat in the front hollow of the side bone of a fowl.
  3. Slang. a closemouthed or uncommunicative person, especially one who keeps secrets well.
  4. something from which a person may extract or derive advantage:

    The world is my oyster.



verb (used without object)

  1. to dredge for or otherwise take oysters.

oyster

/ ˈɔɪə /

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

  1. any of various similar and related molluscs, such as the pearl oyster and the saddle oyster ( Anomia ephippium )
  2. the oyster-shaped piece of dark meat in the hollow of the pelvic bone of a fowl
  3. something from which advantage, delight, profit, etc, may be derived

    the world is his oyster

  4. informal.
    a very uncommunicative person
“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

verb

  1. intr to dredge for, gather, or raise oysters
“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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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of oyster1

1325–75; Middle English oistre < Middle French < Latin ostrea < Greek óٰDz; ostracize
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of oyster1

C14 oistre, from Old French uistre, from Latin ostrea, from Greek ostreon; related to Greek osteon bone, ostrakon shell
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Idioms and Phrases

see world is one's oyster .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Use it to garnish steamed clams or mussels or mix it into a savory stuffing for roasted oysters.

From

His gumbo recipe, for example, calls for two pouches each of smoked clams, oysters and mackerel along with white rice, oregano, cumin and chile peppers.

From

At the beginning of this decade, increased demand in the UK ate up the 10% of his oysters that were being exported to continental Europe.

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Restaurant: The Pearl Short North offers a nostalgic atmosphere, oysters, seafood, and handcrafted cocktails in dimly lit, cozy surroundings.

From

In the blue room a pile of oyster shells lie on the floor, ready to be ground up and applied to the walls to give them an iridescent shimmer.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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

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