Mytilus

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Mytilus \Myt"i*lus\, n. [L., a sea mussel, Gr. ?.] (Zool.)
     A genus of marine bivalve shells, including the common
     mussel. See Illust. under {Byssus}.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Byssus \Bys"sus\, n.; pl. E. {Byssuses}; L. {Byssi}.[L. byssus
     fine flax, fine linen or cotton, Gr. by`ssos .]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. A cloth of exceedingly fine texture, used by the ancients.
        It is disputed whether it was of cotton, linen, or silk.
        [Written also {byss} and {byssin}.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) A tuft of long, tough filaments which are formed
        in a groove of the foot, and issue from between the valves
        of certain bivalve mollusks, as the {Pinna} and {Mytilus},
        by which they attach themselves to rocks, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Bot.) An obsolete name for certain fungi composed of
        slender threads.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Asbestus.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Mytilus
       n : type genus of the family Mytilidae: smooth-shelled marine
           mussels [syn: {genus Mytilus}]