[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/mussel/)

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# mussel

noun (a mussel, mussels)

«mussel» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A mussel is a sea or river shellfish with a long dark blue or black shell in two halves. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/#m1)
2. Mussels are cooked and eaten as food. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science, mussels are molluscs; they stick to rocks with strong threads and filter water to eat. At the seaside children find mussel beds on rocks. In cooking, mussels are steamed until shells open.

### Examples

- Mussels cling to the rocks at low tide. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/#x1)
- Dad ordered mussels with chips. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/#x2)
- A mussel opens its shell to feed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/#x3)
- Don't eat a mussel that stays closed after cooking. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/#x4)
- The rocks were black with mussels. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/#x5)
- Mussels clean the water by filtering it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/#x6)
- The mussel shell grew bigger and bigger, and turned into a pretty little boat, which would have held a dozen children. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/#x7)

### Note

Homophone: «muscle» (the body part) sounds exactly the same. Joke: «Why did the mussel go to the gym? To build muscle.» Countable: one mussel, two mussels.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «mussel» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mussel/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mussel» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/mussel.html) on Mova free.