byssus
byssus
Definition
bys·sus (bis′əs)
noun pl. bys′·suses or bys′si-ī
- 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
Etymology: L < Gr byssos, fine linen or cotton < Sem, as in Heb buts < Sem *b-w-tz, to be white
byssus
Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- gland: Byssal threads are tough chitinous threads secreted by the byssus gland in the foot, as is the case with mussels.
Browse dictionary entries near byssus
- byssinosis
- Byronic
- Byron, Ada
- Byron
- byroad
- byre
- Byrd
- byproduct
- byplay
- bypath
- bystander
- bystreet
- byte
- byte interleaving
- byte-oriented protocol
- Bytes
- bytes per second
- Bytom
- byway
- byword
