n.
Pronunciation: ' bi-s ə s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural bys · sus · es or bys · si \ - ˌ s ī , -( ˌ )s ē \
Etymology: Middle English bissus, from Latin byssus, from Greek byssos flax, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew b ū ș linen cloth
Date: 14th century
1 : a fine prob. linen cloth of ancient times
2 [ New Latin, from L] : a tuft of long tough filaments by which some bivalve mollusks (as mussels) adhere to a surface