byssus

(bis′əs)

noun pl. byssuses or byssi

a fine fabric, esp. a linen cloth, used by the ancients, as in Egypt for mummy wrapping
Zool. a tuft of filaments, chemically similar to silk, secreted by various marine bivalves, esp. the mussels, and used to attach the mollusk to the substratum

Origin: L < Gr byssos, fine linen or cotton < Sem, as in Heb buts < Sem *b-w-tz, to be white

See byssus in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. bys·sus·es or bys·si (bĭsˈīˌ)

Zoology A mass of strong, silky filaments by which certain bivalve mollusks, such as mussels, attach themselves to rocks and other fixed surfaces.
A fine-textured linen of ancient times, used by the Egyptians for wrapping mummies.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English bissus, linen cloth

Origin: , from Latin

Origin: , from Greek bussos, linen

Origin: ; akin to Sanskrit picuḥ, cotton (of Dravidian origin)

Origin: , or ultimately from Egyptian w’ḏ, linen

Related Forms: