mussel
noun
mus·sel
| \ ˈmə-səl
\
\
Definition of mussel
1
: a marine bivalve mollusk (especially genus Mytilus) usually having a dark elongated shell
2
: a freshwater bivalve mollusk (as of Unio, Anodonta, or related genera) that is especially abundant in rivers of the central U.S. and has a shell lined with mother-of-pearl
Examples of mussel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The woman scanned some mussels, but then also put a $20 container of shrimp in her bag. — Bruce Geiselman, cleveland.com, "Shoplifter skimps on shrimp purchase: North Olmsted Police Blotter," 29 Aug. 2019 But the new report released Monday, Aug. 12, 2019, by University of Michigan scientists says despite a drop-off of plankton caused by exotic mussels, the voracious carp could feed on other organic material when venturing into deeper waters. — Washington Post, "Study: Asian carp could find plenty of food in Lake Michigan," 12 Aug. 2019 Pro tip: Locals use empty shells as tongs to scoop up loose mussels from the broth. — Julia Buckley, Condé Nast Traveler, "10 Traditional Foods to Eat in Belgium—And Where to Try Them," 6 Aug. 2019 Choose from traditional dinners such as steamed mussels in white wine, roast duck a l’orange, blanquette de veau, trout almondine and chicken marsala alongside the chef’s nightly specials. — Claire Perez, sun-sentinel.com, "A Rendez-Vous with blueberry pancakes," 16 Aug. 2019 Branzino, squid, clams, mackerel, and mussels sit behind glass shields atop the clean ice, kept cold by the marble. — Naomi Tomky, Fortune, "What You Should Know About Italy’s New Food Capital," 28 July 2019 The team found no evidence that there are any Guadalupe fatmucket, Guadalupe orb or false spike mussels in Dunlap. — Josh Baugh, ExpressNews.com, "After Lake Dunlap’s dam partially collapsed, researchers count fatmuckets and pimplebacks," 24 July 2019 The chowder was generous with clams, as well as lobster, mussels and smoked haddock. — Danica Farley, Orange County Register, "A whale of a time in Nantucket," 17 July 2019 Sones said mussels start to struggle physically when temperatures reach 90 degrees. — Sophie Sherry And Christina Zdanowicz, CNN, "It's so hot that mussels are cooking in their shells and highways are buckling," 1 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mussel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for mussel
mussel
noun
English Language Learners Definition of mussel
: a type of shellfish that has a long dark shell
See the full definition for mussel in the English Language Learners Dictionary
mussel
noun
mus·sel
| \ ˈmə-səl
\
\
Kids Definition of mussel
1
: a saltwater shellfish that has a long dark shell in two parts and is sometimes used as food
2
: a freshwater clam of the United States with shells from which mother-of-pearl is obtained
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