What is "oyster"

Oyster \Oys"ter\ (ois"t[~e]r), n. [OF. oistre, F. hu[^i]tre, L. ostrea, ostreum, Gr. 'o`streon; prob. akin to 'ostre`on bone, the oyster being so named from its shell. Cf. Osseous, Ostracize.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any marine bivalve mollusk of the genus Ostrea. They are usually found adhering to rocks or other fixed objects in shallow water along the seacoasts, or in brackish water in the mouth of rivers. The common European oyster ( Ostrea edulis), and the American oyster ( Ostrea Virginiana), are the most important species.

2. A name popularly given to the delicate morsel contained in a small cavity of the bone on each side of the lower part of the back of a fowl. Fresh-water oyster (Zo["o]l.), any species of the genus Etheria, and allied genera, found in rivers of Africa and South America. They are irregular in form, and attach themselves to rocks like oysters, but they have a pearly interior, and are allied to the fresh-water mussels. Oyster bed, a breeding place for oysters; a place in a tidal river or other water on or near the seashore, where oysters are deposited to grow and fatten for market. See 1st Scalp, n. Oyster catcher (Zo["o]l.), See oystercatcher in the vocabulary. Oyster crab (Zo["o]l.) a small crab ( Pinnotheres ostreum) which lives as a commensal in the gill cavity of the oyster. Oyster dredge, a rake or small dragnet for bringing up oysters from the bottom of the sea. Oyster fish. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. The tautog.

   2. The toadfish. Oyster plant. (Bot.)

      1. A plant of the genus Tragopogon ( Tragopogon porrifolius), the root of which, when cooked, somewhat resembles the oyster in taste; salsify; -- called also vegetable oyster.

      2. A plant found on the seacoast of Northern Europe, America and Asia ( Mertensia maritima), the fresh leaves of which have a strong flavor of oysters.

         Oyster plover. (Zo["o]l.) Same as oystercatcher.

         Oyster shell (Zo["o]l.), the shell of an oyster.

         Oyster wench, Oyster wife, Oyster women, a women who deals in oysters.

         Pearl oyster. (Zo["o]l.) See under Pearl.

         Thorny oyster (Zo["o]l.), any spiny marine shell of the genus Spondylus.

early 14c., from Old French oistre (Modern French huître), from Latin ostrea, plural or fem. of ostreum "oyster," from Greek ostreon, from PIE *ost- "bone" (see osseous). Related to Greek ostrakon "hard shell" and to osteon "bone."Why then the world's mine Oyster, which I, with sword will open. [Shakespeare, "The Merry Wives of Windsor," II.ii.2]

1. Of a pale beige colour tinted with grey or pink, like that of an oyster. n. 1 Any of certain marine bivalve mollusks, especially those of the family Ostreidae (the true oysters), usually found adhering to rocks or other fixed objects in shallow water along the seacoasts, or in brackish water in the mouth of rivers. 2 The delicate morsel of dark meat contained in a small cavity of the bone on each side of the lower part of the back of a fowl. 3 A pale beige color tinted with grey or pink, like that of an oyster. 4 (context colloquial by analogy English) A person who keeps secrets. v

2. (context intransitive English) To fish for oysters.

1. n. marine mollusks having a rough irregular shell; found on the sea bed mostly in coastal waters

2. edible body of any of numerous oysters [syn: huitre]

3. a small muscle on each side of the back of a fowl

v. gather oysters, dig oysters

Oyster is the second studio album by Heather Nova, released in 1994 (see 1994 in music).

An oyster is a bivalve mollusc.

Oyster may also refer to:

Oyster is a novel from 1996 by Janette Turner Hospital.

Oyster is an international fashion, beauty, music and pop-culture title established in Australia in 1994 by Monica Nakata and Jonathan Morris.

The magazine features exclusive international fashion editorial, interviews, and extensive music and art editorial. Oyster showcases the work of leading photographers and young up-and-coming talent from around the world, and is renowned for its avant-garde approach to style.

From 1994–2012 Oyster was published bi-monthly. It was announced in 2015 that the frequency would change from bi-annual to quarterly print publication.

The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of different families of saltwater clams, bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not all, oysters are in the superfamily Ostreoidea.

Some kinds of oysters are commonly consumed by humans, cooked or raw, the latter being a delicacy. Some kinds of pearl oysters are harvested for the pearl produced within the mantle. Windowpane oysters are harvested for their translucent shells, which are used to make various kinds of decorative objects.

Oysters are two small, round pieces of dark meat on the back of poultry near the thigh, in the hollow on the dorsal side of the ilium bone. Some regard the "oyster meat" to be the most flavorful and tender part of the bird, while others dislike the taste and texture.

Compared to dark meat found in other parts of the bird, the oyster meat has a somewhat firm/taut texture which gives it a distinct mouth feel. It is also customary for the cook to be given first preference to the oyster meat.

In French, this part of the bird is called sot-l'y-laisse which translates, roughly, to "the fool leaves it there", as unskilled carvers sometimes accidentally leave it on the skeleton.

Oyster was a streaming service for digital e-books, available for Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, and NOOK HD/HD+ devices. It was also available on any web browser on a desktop or laptop computer. Oyster held over 1 million books in its library, and as of September 2015, the service was only available in the United States.

In September 2015, Google acquired Oyster. No terms were disclosed but speculation put the price at somewhere between $20 million and $30 million. As a part of the acquisition it was reported that the founders would be leading Google Play Books in New York. In conjunction with the acquisition, Oyster reported on its blog that it would be shutting down its existing service in early 2016.