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.
- oyster white.
verb (used without object)
- to dredge for or otherwise take oysters.
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 derivedthe world is his oyster
- informal a very uncommunicative person
verb
- (intr) to dredge for, gather, or raise oysters
n.early 14c., from Old French oistre (Modern French huître), from Latin ostrea, plural or fem. of ostreum “oyster,” from Greek ostreon, from PIE *ost- “bone” (see osseous). Related to Greek 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] see world is one’s oyster.