Byssi

Byssi
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. (Zo["o]l.) 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]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • byssi — bys·si (bĭsʹī ) n. A plural of byssus. * * * …   Universalium

  • BYSSUS — lini species pretiosissima, e qua vestes mollissimae ac renuissimae conficiebautur. Unde dictum Parysatidis Reginae Persarum, in Regum alloquio utendum esse verbis Βυςςίνοις, i. e. mollissimis, ac lenissimis. Eius meminit Theocritus Idyllio 2.… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • LANUGO — per blanditias, a grandibus natu tractata. Suet. Claud. Ner. c. 34. Quam, (matris suae amitam) cum visitaret: et illa tractans lanuginem eius, ut assolet iam grandis natu (ubi etiam legi potest, iam grandibus natu) per blanditias forte dixisset,… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • byss — 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.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • byssin — 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.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Byssuses — 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.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mytilus — 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.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pinna — 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.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • byssus — noun (plural byssuses or byssi) Etymology: Middle English bissus, from Latin byssus, from Greek byssos flax, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew būṣ linen cloth Date: 14th century 1. a fine probably linen cloth of ancient times 2. [ …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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