BYSSUSES

Noun

byssuses

plural of byssus

Source: Wiktionary


BYSSUS

Bys"sus, n.; pl. E. Byssuses(#); L. Byssi.(#) Etym: [L. byssus fine flax, fine linen or cotton, Gr.

1. A cloth of exceedingly fine texture, used by the ancients. It is disputed whether it was of cotton, linen, or silk. [Written also byss and byssin.]

2. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A tuft of long, tough filaments which are formed in a groove of the foot, and issue from between the valves of certain bivalve mollusks, as the Pinna and Mytilus, by which they attach themselves to rocks, etc.

3. (Bot.)

Definition: An obsolete name for certain fungi composed of slender threads.

4. Asbestus.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

18 May 2024

SUNLIT

(adjective) lighted by sunlight; “the sunlit slopes of the canyon”; “violet valleys and the sunstruck ridges”- Wallace Stegner


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

coffee icon