- a large flat shellfish. Some types of oyster can be eaten and others produce shiny white jewels called pearls.
- Oyster beds, on the mudflats, are a form of fish farming.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryOyster is used before these nouns:- mushroom
- sauce
- shell
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French oistre, via Latin from Greek ostreon; related to osteon ‘bone’ and ostrakon ‘shell or tile’.Definitions on the go
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Idioms
See oyster in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarythe world is your oyster
- there is no limit to the opportunities open to you
- With talent like that, the world is her oyster.
Check pronunciation:
oyster