Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

byssus

/ˈbɪsəs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.22 in modern English

Syllables: byssus
IPA: /ˈbɪsəs/

11

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The long fine silky filaments excreted by several mollusks (particularly Pinna nobilis) by which they attach themselves to the sea bed, and from which sea silk is manufactured.

Uncountable

noun

Sea silk manufactured from these filaments.

Uncountable

noun

The stipe or stem of some fungi which are particularly thin and thread-like.

Uncountable

Etymology

From Latin byssus, from Ancient Greek βύσσος (bússos, “flax; flax cotton”), from a Semitic source cognate to Hebrew בּוּץ (būṣ, “byssus”) and Aramaic בּוּצָא (būṣā, “byssus”)

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: byssus, βύσσος, -

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

byssi (plural) byssuses (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

byssaceous byssal byssate byssiferous byssine byssinosis byssogenous byssoid

Synonyms

beard

Rhymes With

missus narcissus issus

Questions

How do you pronounce byssus?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɪsəs/.
What does byssus mean?: The long fine silky filaments excreted by several mollusks (particularly Pinna nobilis) by which they attach themselves to the sea bed, and from which sea silk is manufactured.
Where does byssus come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce byssus

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