oyster

noun

oys·​ter ˈȯi-stər How to pronounce oyster (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: any of various marine bivalve mollusks (family Ostreidae) that have a rough irregular shell closed by a single adductor muscle and include commercially important shellfish
b
: any of various mollusks resembling or related to the oysters
2
: something that is or can be readily made to serve one's personal ends
the world was her oyster
3
: a small mass of muscle contained in a concavity of the pelvic bone on each side of the back of a fowl
4
: an extremely taciturn person
5
: a grayish-white color

Examples of oyster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Zimmern, based in Minneosta, has experienced these differences firsthand, tasting oysters harvested just a few hundred yards apart that delivered dramatically different flavors. — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Also sent to the garbage via Stop Sales were dented cans of pineapple juice, oyster sauce and bean sauce. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 These days, takeout cartons come in a variety of shapes, and the food landscape has expanded to include a range of cuisines that might show up in the former oyster pail. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 And then — more oysters, higher this time, cruel, pleasant things cutting at my hips, banging my thighs. — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oyster

Word History

Etymology

Middle English oistre, borrowed from Anglo-French oistre, ostre, going back to Latin ostrea, ostreum "bivalve mollusk, oyster," borrowed from Greek óstreion, óstreon, of uncertain origin

Note: Greek óstreion has traditionally been taken to be a derivative, with a suffix -ei-, of a stem going back to Indo-European *h3esth1-r-, from the base *h3esth1- "bone." See note at ostracon.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of oyster was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing oyster

Rhymes for oyster

See All Rhymes for oyster

Browse Nearby Words

oylet
oyster
oyster agaric
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oyster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oyster. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

oyster

noun
oys·​ter ˈȯi-stər How to pronounce oyster (audio)
: any of various marine mollusks that include important edible shellfish and have a rough uneven shell made up of two hinged parts and closed by a single muscle

More from Merriam-Webster on oyster

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oyster

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