The long fine silky filaments excreted by several mollusks (particularly Pinna nobilis) by which they attach themselves to the sea bed, from which sea silk is manufactured
An exceptionally fine and valuable fibre or cloth of ancient times. Originally used for fine flax and linens, its use was later extended to fine cottons, silks, and sea silk
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
() From New Latin byssus (“sea silk”) Latin byssus (“fine cotton or cotton stuff, silk”) Ancient Greek βύσσος (“a very fine yellowish flax and the linen woven from it”) Hebrew בּוּץ (butz), Aramaic בּוש (bus).