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