mussel

English

Cooked mussels (Mytilus edulis)
Mussels in beer broth at a restaurant in Singapore

Etymology

From Latin mūsculus (mussel or muscle, literally little mouse). Doublet of muscle.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA(key): /ˈmʌsəl/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌsəl
  • Homophone: muscle

Noun

mussel (plural mussels)

  1. Any of several groups of bivalve shellfish with elongated, asymmetrical shells
    1. fresh water mussels, usually edible, of the order Unionida in subclass Palaeoheterodonta.
    2. salt water mussels, usually edible, of the order Mytilida in subclass Pteriomorphia.
    3. Certain other bivalves of somewhat similar appearance, such as the zebra mussel and quagga mussel of the family Dreissenidae in subclass Heterodonta.

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References

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