Definition of "oyster" []

• Any of several edible bivalve mollusks of the family Ostreidae, especially of the genera Crassostrea and Ostrea, that live chiefly in shallow marine waters and have a rough, irregularly shaped shell. (noun)
• Any of various similar or related bivalve mollusks, such as the pearl oyster. (noun)
• An edible bit of muscle found in the hollow of the pelvic bone of a fowl. (noun)
• A special delicacy. (noun)
• Something from which benefits may be extracted. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In the same way that there is big difference between typing the word oyster and actually swallowing one, I am not suggesting that you swallow the idea that guardian angels are real."
• "Tom Robbins 'line floats into my mind: "Eating an oyster is like French-kissing a mermaid.""
• "Otherwise known as the Eastern, Gulf or Bluepoints, this variety of oyster is most commonly found along the Atlantic Seaboard of the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico."