Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

oyster

 - 4 dictionary results
Oster ® Products & Parts
Complete Oster line of products. Blenders, Clippers, Parts, etc
www.Goodmans.net
Oyster Card
Buy before you fly & save on London Transport & attractions tickets!
Visitbritaindirect.com
Chesapeake Bay Oysters
Available shucked, in the shell or breaded and delivered to your door.
www.LintonSeafood.com/Oysters

oys⋅ter

  [oi-ster]
Use oyster in a Sentence
–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, esp. one who keeps secrets well.
4. something from which a person may extract or derive advantage: The world is my oyster.
5. oyster white.
–verb (used without object)
6. to dredge for or otherwise take oysters.
Origin:
1325–75; ME oistre < MF < L ostrea < Gk óstreon; see ostracize
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To oyster
Oster ® Products & Parts
Complete Oster line of products. Blenders, Clippers, Parts, etc
www.Goodmans.net
Oyster Card
Buy before you fly & save on London Transport & attractions tickets!
Visitbritaindirect.com
oys·ter   (oi'stər)   
n.  

    1. Any of several edible bivalve mollusks of the family Ostreidae, especially of the genera Crassostrea and Ostrea, that live chiefly in shallow marine waters and have a rough, irregularly shaped shell.

    2. Any of various similar or related bivalve mollusks, such as the pearl oyster.

    3. A special delicacy.

    4. Something from which benefits may be extracted.

  2. An edible bit of muscle found in the hollow of the pelvic bone of a fowl.

    1. A special delicacy.

    2. Something from which benefits may be extracted.

  4. Slang A close-mouthed person.

intr.v.   oys·tered, oys·ter·ing, oys·ters
To gather, dredge for, or raise oysters.

[Middle English oistre, from Old French, from Latin ostreum, ostrea, from Greek ostreon; see ost- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

oyster 
1357, from O.Fr. oistre (Fr. huître), from L. ostrea, pl. or fem. of ostreum "oyster," from Gk. ostreon, from PIE *ost- "bone" (see osseous). Related to Gk. 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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

oyster

see world is one's oyster.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see oyster on Thesaurus | Reference
Chesapeake Bay Oysters
Available shucked, in the shell or breaded and delivered to your door.
www.LintonSeafood.com/Oysters
Oyster
Ode To The Oyster: The Perfect Summer Treat. Find Oyster Ideas!
LifeScript.com
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way