adj · name · noun · verb · 14 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:/ˈɔɪ.stə/
General-American:/ˈɔɪ.stɚ/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-US, regional:/ˈɔɪ.st͡ʃɚ/
rhymes with -ɔɪstə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:OY1 S T ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of a pale beige colour tinted with grey or pink, like that of an oyster.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
name
Meaning 2
A surname.
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 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.
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
The delicate oyster-shaped 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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A pale beige color tinted with grey or pink, like that of an oyster.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A person who keeps secrets.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial
Qualifier: by analogy
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Something at one's disposal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
A shoplifter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
Ellipsis of Oyster card.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
verb
Meaning 10
To fish for oysters.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
marine mollusks having a rough irregular shell; found on the sea bed mostly in coastal waters
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bivalve, pelecypod, lamellibranch
Narrower terms: seed oyster, bluepoint, blue point, Japanese oyster, Ostrea gigas, Virginia oyster, pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, saddle oyster, Anomia ephippium, window oyster, windowpane oyster, capiz, Placuna placenta
12
noun
Meaning 12
a small muscle on each side of the back of a fowl
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: helping, portion, serving
13
noun
Meaning 13
edible body of any of numerous oysters
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: huitre
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: shellfish
Narrower terms: oysters Rockefeller, bluepoint, blue point
14
verb
Meaning 14
gather oysters, dig oysters
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: gather, garner, collect, pull together
History
Etymology
From Middle English oystre, from Old English ostre, reinforced or superseded by Anglo-Norman oistre, which is from Old French oistre, uistre (compare modern French huître); both lines (Old English and Old French) from Latin ostrea, from Ancient Greek ὄστρεον (óstreon). Doublet of ostro (“a purple dye”).
Uncertain. Perhaps a nickname for someone who cultivated or sold oysters.
Across languages
Translations
186 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Abenaki:
als
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Afrikaans:
oester
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Albanian:
stridhe
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Arabic:
مَحَار
(maḥār)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Arabic:
إسترديا
(esteredya)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Arabic:
محار
(maḥḥār)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Arabic:
مَحَار
(maḥār)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Armenian:
ոստրե
(ostre)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Asturian:
ostra
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Azerbaijani:
استریدیه
(istiridiyə)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Azerbaijani:
istiridyə
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Azerbaijani:
stridiya
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
West Coast Bajau:
tigom
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Basque:
ostra
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Belarusian:
ву́стрыца
(vústryca)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Bengali:
ঝিনুক
(jhinuk)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Bhojpuri:
सीप
(sīp)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Breton:
istr
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Bulgarian:
стри́да
(strída)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Burmese:
ကမာ
(ka.ma)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Catalan:
ostra
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Chinese Cantonese:
蠔 /蚝
(hou4)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Chinese Mandarin:
牡蠣 /牡蛎
(mǔlì)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Chinese Mandarin:
海蠣子 /海蛎子
(hǎilìzi)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Chinese Mandarin:
蠔子 /蚝子
(háozi)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Chinese Mandarin:
蠔 /蚝
(háo)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Cornish:
estren
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Corsican:
ostrica
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Corsican:
ostrice
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Czech:
ústřice
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Danish:
østers
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Dutch:
oester
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Esperanto:
ostro
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Estonian:
auster
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Faroese:
ostra
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Finnish:
osteri
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
French:
huître
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
French:
huitre
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
North Frisian:
Skruk
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
West-Frisian:
oester
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Georgian:
ხამანწკა
(xamanc̣ḳa)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
German:
Auster
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Greek:
στρείδι
(streídi)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Ancient Greek:
ὄστρεον
(óstreon)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Ancient Greek:
τῆθος
(têthos)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Ancient Greek:
γλυκομαρίς
(glukomarís)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Haitian Creole:
zwit
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Hawaiian:
kio
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Hebrew:
צִדפָּה
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Hindi:
सीप
(sīp)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Hindi:
शुक्ति
(śukti)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Hungarian:
osztriga
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Icelandic:
ostra
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Ido:
ostro
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Indonesian:
tiram
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Irish:
oisre
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Italian:
ostrica
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Japanese:
牡蠣
(kaki)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Japanese:
カキ
(kaki)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Japanese:
真珠貝
(shinjugai)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Javanese:
kerang
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Kazakh:
устрица
(ustrisa)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Khmer:
ខ្យងស្មិត
(kyɑɑng smǝt)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Khmer:
ងាវ
(ngiev)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Khmer:
ងាវសមុទ្រ
(ngiev samot)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Kimaragang:
kubili
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Korean:
굴
(gul)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Kyrgyz:
устрица
(ustritsa)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Lao:
ຫອຍນາງລົມ
(hǭi nāng lom)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Lao:
ຫອຽນາງລົມ
(hǭi nāng lom)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Latin:
ostrea
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Latvian:
austere
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Lithuanian:
austrė
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Louisiana Creole:
zwit
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Luxembourgish:
Auster
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Macedonian:
острига
(ostriga)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Malagasy:
masajy
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Malay:
tiram
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Malayalam:
മുത്തുച്ചിപ്പി
(muttuccippi)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Manx:
ooastyr
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Māori:
tio
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Central Melanau:
tirem
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Mi'kmaq:
mntmu
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Mi'kmaq:
tmtmu
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Mohegan-Pequot:
apon
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Mongolian:
хясаа
(xjasaa)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Muna:
fonoti
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Murik (New Guinea):
kabaŋk
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Navajo:
chʼosh yoołgai bitsʼaʼígíí
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Navajo:
chʼosh yoołgai bitsʼaʼí íiyisígíí
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Norman:
hitre
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Norwegian Bokmål:
østers
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Norwegian Nynorsk:
østers
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Occitan:
ustra
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Old English:
ostre
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Persian:
گوشماهی
(gušmâhi)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Pohnpeian:
lingkiri
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Pohnpeian:
pelekenna
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Polish:
ostryga
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Portuguese:
ostra
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Romanian:
stridie
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Russian:
у́стрица
(ústrica)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Scottish Gaelic:
eisir
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Scottish Gaelic:
oisir
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Serbo-Croatian:
каменица
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Serbo-Croatian:
оштрига
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Serbo-Croatian:
kamenica
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Serbo-Croatian:
oštriga
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Sinhalese:
බෙල්ලා
(bellā)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Slovak:
ustrica
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Slovene:
ostriga
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Lower Sorbian:
wustrica
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Upper Sorbian:
wustrica
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Spanish:
ostra
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Spanish:
ostrón
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Spanish:
ostión
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Spanish:
ostia (disused)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Swedish:
ostron
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Tagalog:
talaba
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Tajik:
гӯшмоҳӣ
(güšmohi)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Tamil:
சிப்பி
(cippi)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Tày:
cắp pai
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Tày:
cắp cuồng
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Telugu:
గుల్ల
(gulla)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Thai:
หอยนางรม
(hɔ̌i-naang-rom)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Thai:
มุก
(múk)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Turkish:
istiridye
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Ottoman Turkish:
استریدیه
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Ottoman Turkish:
استردیه
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Turkmen:
ustrisa
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Ukrainian:
у́стриця
(ústrycja)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Unami:
sisawin
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Urdu:
شکتی
(śukti)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Uzbek:
ustritsa
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Vietnamese:
hàu
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Volapük:
hüit
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Walloon:
plate mosse
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Welsh:
llymarch
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Welsh:
wystrys
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Woiwurrung:
u.yoke
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Yiddish:
אויסטער
(oyster)
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Yoruba:
ìsán
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Zulu:
ukhwathu class 11/10
— mollusk — see also clam, mollusc, mussel
Arabic:
مَحَار
(maḥār)
— food from mollusc
Arabic:
مَحَار
(maḥār)
— food from mollusc
Bulgarian:
стрида
(strida)
— food from mollusc
Chinese Cantonese:
蠔 /蚝
(hou4)
— food from mollusc
Chinese Mandarin:
牡蠣 /牡蛎
(mǔlì)
— food from mollusc
Finnish:
osteri
— food from mollusc
French:
huître
— food from mollusc
Galician:
ostra
— food from mollusc
German:
Auster
— food from mollusc
Greek:
στρείδι
(streídi)
— food from mollusc
Ancient Greek:
ὄστρεον
(óstreon)
— food from mollusc
Italian:
ostrica
— food from mollusc
Japanese:
牡蠣
(kaki)
— food from mollusc
Japanese:
カキ
(kaki)
— food from mollusc
Kazakh:
устрица
(ustrisa)
— food from mollusc
Korean:
굴
(gul)
— food from mollusc
Latin:
ostrea
— food from mollusc
Macedonian:
о́стрига
(óstriga)
— food from mollusc
Macedonian:
о́стриги
(óstrigi)
— food from mollusc
Navajo:
chʼosh yoołgai bitsʼaʼígíí
— food from mollusc
Persian:
گوشماهی
(gušmâhi)
— food from mollusc
Persian:
اویستر
(oyster)
— food from mollusc
Polish:
ostryga
— food from mollusc
Portuguese:
marisco
— food from mollusc
Romanian:
stridie
— food from mollusc
Russian:
у́стрица
(ústrica)
— food from mollusc
Serbo-Croatian:
каменица
— food from mollusc
Serbo-Croatian:
kamenica
— food from mollusc
Spanish:
ostra
— food from mollusc
Swedish:
ostron
— food from mollusc
Turkish:
istiridye
— food from mollusc
Vietnamese:
hàu
— food from mollusc
Vietnamese:
sò
— food from mollusc
Walloon:
plate mosse
— food from mollusc
French:
sot-l’y-laisse
— meat from poultry
German:
Pfaffenschnittchen
— meat from poultry
German:
Pfaffenstückchen
— meat from poultry
Finnish:
osterinharmaa
— colour
Spanish:
ostra
— colour
Bulgarian:
затворен човек
(zatvoren čovek)
— person who keeps secrets
Finnish:
muuri
— person who keeps secrets
Russian:
за́мкнутый челове́к
(zámknutyj čelovék)
— person who keeps secrets
