mussel

noun

mus·​sel ˈmə-səl How to pronounce mussel (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The fallout has been steep, resulting in shredded nets, decimated clam beds and mussel stocks, and hundreds of shuttered fisheries along the Italian coast. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026 Earlier this month, specialized dive teams relocated 8,500 native freshwater mussels from the construction area to a site beyond the in-stream work area, transportation officials said. — Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 26 Aug. 2026 The kitchen makes its own terrines, pates and pickles, among other pantry staples, which shine in dishes like mussels in tomato-miso escabeche and burrata with pistachio pistou and fermented honey. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026 There, at the seaside restaurant Da Emilia, Tucci tried a spaghetti and mussels dish the chef’s eponymous grandmother had taught her to make years earlier. — Matthew Jacobs, HollywoodReporter, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mussel

Word History

Etymology

Middle English muscle, from Old English muscelle, from Vulgar Latin *muscula, from Latin musculus muscle, mussel

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mussel was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing mussel

Rhymes for mussel

See All Rhymes for mussel

Browse Nearby Words

mussalchee
mussel
mussel bill
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mussel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mussel. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

mussel

noun
mus·​sel ˈməs-əl How to pronounce mussel (audio)
1
: any of various edible saltwater mollusks with a long dark hinged double shell
2
: any of numerous freshwater mollusks of rivers of the central U.S. whose hinged double shells are lined with mother-of-pearl

More from Merriam-Webster on mussel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mussel

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