noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation, US:/ˈmʌsəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ʌsəl
homophone: muscle
CMU ARPABET:M AH1 S AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any of several groups of bivalve shellfish with elongated, asymmetrical shells.
A saltwater mussel, usually edible, of the order Mytilida in subclass Pteriomorphia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any of several groups of bivalve shellfish with elongated, asymmetrical shells.
A freshwater mussel, usually edible, of the order Unionida in subclass Palaeoheterodonta.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Any of several groups of bivalve shellfish with elongated, asymmetrical shells.
Any of certain other bivalves of somewhat similar appearance, such as the zebra mussel and quagga mussel of the family Dreissenidae in subclass Heterodonta.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
marine or freshwater bivalve mollusk that lives attached to rocks etc.
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: shellfish
History
Etymology
From Middle English muscle (“mussel”), from Old English muscle, from Proto-West Germanic *muskulā, from Late Latin muscula, from Latin mūsculus (“mussel, muscle”, literally “little mouse”). Doublet of muscle.
Across languages
Translations
117 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Abenaki:
als
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Abkhaz:
ами́диа
(amídja)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Afrikaans:
mossel
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Arabic:
بَلَحُ الْبَحْر
(balaḥu l-baḥr)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Arabic:
بَلَح البَحَر
(balaḥ al-baḥar)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Arabic:
بو زْروڭ
(bu zrug)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Armenian:
միդիա
(midia)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Asturian:
moxón
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Asturian:
morción
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Azerbaijani:
midye
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Basque:
muskuilua
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Belarusian:
мі́дыя
(mídyja)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Bulgarian:
мида
(mida)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Catalan:
musclo
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Chinese Cantonese:
青口
(ceng1 hau2)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Chinese Mandarin:
淡菜
(dàncài)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Chinese Mandarin:
殼菜 /壳菜
(qiàocài)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Chinese Mandarin:
貽貝 /贻贝
(yíbèi)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Chinese Mandarin:
青口
(qīngkǒu)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Cornish:
meskel
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Cornish:
mesklen
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Czech:
slávka
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Danish:
musling
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Dutch:
mossel
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Esperanto:
mitulo
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Estonian:
jõekarp
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Ewe:
aɖɔɖi
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Faroese:
kræklingur
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Finnish:
simpukka
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
French:
moule
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Galician:
mexillón
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Georgian:
ორკარედი ნიჟარა
(orḳaredi nižara)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
German:
Muschel
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
German:
Miesmuschel
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Greek:
μύδι
(mýdi)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Ancient Greek:
κόγχη
(kónkhē)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Greenlandic:
uiloq
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Hebrew:
מוּל
(mul)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Hungarian:
szívkagyló
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Hungarian:
kagyló
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Icelandic:
kræklingur
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Icelandic:
bláskel
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Irish:
diúilicín
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Italian:
cozza
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Italian:
mitilo
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Italian:
muscolo
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Italian:
peocio
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Italian:
dattero nero
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Italian:
poverazza
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Japanese:
貽貝
(igai)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Japanese:
ムール貝
(mūru-gai)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Khmer:
គ្រំចំពុះទា
(krum chɑmpuh tie)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Khmer:
គ្រំប៉ោក
(krum paok)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Korean:
조개
(jogae)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Korean:
홍합
(honghap)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Latin:
spondylus
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Macedonian:
мушула
(mušula)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Macedonian:
школка
(školka)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Malay:
kupang
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Brunei Malay:
kupang
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Māori:
kūtai
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Māori:
kuku
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Middle English:
muscle
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Navajo:
chʼosh dichiłí bitsʼaʼígíí
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Norman:
moûle
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Norman:
bé d'corbîn
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Norwegian:
blåskjell
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Southern Ohlone:
hakkaw
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Old English:
muscle
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Persian:
صدف سیاه
(sadaf-e siyâh)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Polish:
małż
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Polish:
omułek
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Portuguese:
mexilhão
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Romanian:
midie
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Romanian:
scoică de apă dulce
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Russian:
ми́дия
(mídija)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Northern Sami:
skálžu
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Scottish Gaelic:
feusgan
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Serbo-Croatian:
školjka
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Serbo-Croatian:
jestiva školjka
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Serbo-Croatian:
dagnja
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Slovak:
mušľa
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Slovene:
dagnja
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Spanish:
mejillón
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Spanish:
choro
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Spanish:
mítulo
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Spanish:
mocejón
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Spanish:
cholga
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Spanish:
cholgua
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Swedish:
mussla
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Tagalog:
halaan
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Thai:
หอยสองฝา
(hŏi sŏng făa)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Turkish:
midye
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Ukrainian:
мі́дія
(mídija)
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Vietnamese:
chem chép
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Walloon:
mosse
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Walloon:
moule
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Walloon:
moulete
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Welsh:
cragen las
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Welsh:
cragen ddu
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Welsh:
misgl
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Yámana:
kačóin
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
Zazaki:
midye tasek
— any small edible bivalve shellfish — see also clam, oyster, mollusc
