any of a number of bivalve molluscs with a brown or purplish-black shell 贻贝, 蚌类
a marine bivalve which uses byssus threads to anchor to a firm surface (family Mytilidae, order Mytiloidea), including the edible mussel (Mytilus edulis) a freshwater bivalve which typically lies on the bed of a river, some species forming small pearls (family Unionidae, order Unionoida) 贻贝,壳菜,淡菜(贻贝科,贻贝目),包括可食用贻贝(拉丁名Mytilus edulis)
语源
Old English mus(c)le, superseded by forms from Middle Low German mussel, Middle Dutch mosscele; ultimately from late Latin muscula, from Latin musculus (see muscle)