Mussel

Mussel

Noun · /ˈmʌs.əl/

Definition

A bivalve mollusc with a dark elongated shell, living attached to rocks or other surfaces in marine or freshwater environments; the common edible mussel (Mytilus edulis) being one of the most widely consumed shellfish in Europe.

Origin

From Old English muscle/musle, from Latin musculus (a mussel, also a muscle — the body's contractile tissue), diminutive of mus (mouse). The naming coming from the mussel's dark elongated shell resembling a small mouse in shape. The same Latin musculus giving English both muscle and mussel — demonstrating how a single Latin animal-shape analogy produced two distinct English words. Mussels being farmed by rope culture and consumed in France, Belgium (moules-frites), the Netherlands, Britain, and Spain (mejillones) as a major seafood.