often attributive
1
a
: any of various marine bivalve mollusks (family Ostreidae) that have a rough irregular shell closed by a single adductor muscle and include commercially important shellfish
b
: any of various mollusks resembling or related to the oysters
2
: something that is or can be readily made to serve one's personal ends
the world was her oyster
3
: a small mass of muscle contained in a concavity of the pelvic bone on each side of the back of a fowl
4
: an extremely taciturn person
5
: a grayish-white color
Examples of oyster in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Come here for burgers, tacos, and raw bar items like oysters and you-peel shrimp.
—
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 1 June 2025
Snails come under the latter, along with clams, mussels, oysters and squid.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
The Mission Pacific Hotel’s rooftop also features a bar with signature cocktails and food options such as oysters, prime skirt steak and small salads.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2025
The palette, not surprisingly, is earthy in shades of oyster, stone, cream, pearl and brown.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oyster
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Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 1 June 2025
Snails come under the latter, along with clams, mussels, oysters and squid.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
The Mission Pacific Hotel’s rooftop also features a bar with signature cocktails and food options such as oysters, prime skirt steak and small salads.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2025
The palette, not surprisingly, is earthy in shades of oyster, stone, cream, pearl and brown.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oyster
Cite this Entry
“Oyster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oyster. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
oyster
noun
oys·ter
ˈȯi-stər 
: any of various marine mollusks that include important edible shellfish and have a rough uneven shell made up of two hinged parts and closed by a single muscle
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