Meaning & use
mussels
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“mussels” is a form of “mussel”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounusually plural
Small sea creatures with a soft body inside two dark shells, often cooked and eaten as food.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural; the singular 'mussel' refers to one of them.
Patterns
- a bowl of mussels
- cook/steam mussels
- mussels in garlic sauce
We ordered a big pot of mussels with bread on the side.
She steamed the mussels with white wine and garlic.
The rocks at low tide were covered with mussels.
nouncountable
A freshwater shellfish of the same kind, whose shell often contains a small pearl.
Grammar: Countable here: one mussel, two mussels; often used with 'freshwater' or 'river'.
Patterns
- freshwater mussels
- river mussels
Freshwater mussels filter the water as they feed.
Divers found a rare river mussel in the riverbed.
Word forms
| singular | mussel |
|---|
Common combinations
- a bowl of mussels
- He had a bowl of mussels and a glass of beer.
- steamed mussels
- The steamed mussels came with lemon and herbs.
- mussels in garlic sauce
- Their mussels in garlic sauce are the best in town.
- shellfish such as mussels
- She avoids shellfish such as mussels because of an allergy.
- gather mussels
- At low tide the children gathered mussels from the rocks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clam
- A clam is a similar shellfish but with a rounder, lighter shell; use 'clam' for that specific kind, not for mussels.
- shellfish
- 'Shellfish' is the general word covering mussels, clams, oysters and shrimp, so it is broader and less precise.
Word family
- mussel noun
- One single shellfish of this kind.
- mussel bed noun
- An area where many mussels grow together.
Commonly confused: mussels or muscle? mussels or muzzle?
mussels vs muscle
'Muscle' is body tissue and sounds exactly the same as 'mussel'; in writing, check whether you mean food or the body.
mussels vs muzzle
'Muzzle' is the nose and mouth of an animal, or a guard over it, and is spelled and pronounced differently.
Practice
Which sentence uses the word correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Mussels' are shellfish, so eating them by the sea fits. Options 2 and 4 confuse them with 'muscle' (body tissue), and option 3 confuses them with 'muzzle'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mussels”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.