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
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Sea bream—a fish which fed on mussels, snails and crustaceans—formed the lowest level of the food chain, followed by smaller shark species such as requiem sharks and the ancestors of today's cetaceans, dolphins and whales.
—
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 May 2025
Guests enjoyed small bites of briny mussels filled with Bluefin tuna, piquant gochujang sardine toasts, and an elegant Korean beef tartare.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 May 2025
During maintenance, workers roll through on a tractor equipped with a frame bearing metal bristles that scrape the tunnel walls, cleaning off algae and any growth of invasive mussels.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
But officials say contracting the poisoning is rare, due to public health efforts to dissuade people from eating the potentially toxic mussels.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mussel
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Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 May 2025
Guests enjoyed small bites of briny mussels filled with Bluefin tuna, piquant gochujang sardine toasts, and an elegant Korean beef tartare.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 May 2025
During maintenance, workers roll through on a tractor equipped with a frame bearing metal bristles that scrape the tunnel walls, cleaning off algae and any growth of invasive mussels.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
But officials say contracting the poisoning is rare, due to public health efforts to dissuade people from eating the potentially toxic mussels.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mussel
Cite this Entry
“Mussel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mussel. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mussel
noun
mus·sel
ˈməs-əl 
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
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