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Glite Dictionary
edible mussel

edible mussel

3.5
A small sea animal with a hard shell that people can eat
  • noun
  • /ˈɛdɪbəl ˈmʌsəl/
translation icon : mejillón comestible
  • Seafood restaurants often serve freshly steamed edible mussels with garlic and white wine sauce.

Examples

  • The rocky shores of the Atlantic are home to large beds of edible mussels.

  • We found an edible mussel on the beach.

  • Scientists are studying how pollution affects the health of edible mussel populations.

  • The edible mussel is a popular seafood dish.

  • Seafood restaurants often serve freshly steamed edible mussels with garlic and white wine sauce.

  • The rocky shores of the Atlantic are home to large beds of edible mussels.

  • The edible mussel is a popular seafood dish enjoyed by many.

Synonyms

mussel
vsedible mussel
40 2.4

A sea or river animal with a dark long shell that people eat

focuses on being attached to rocks and suitable for human eating
Mytilus edulis
vsedible mussel
  • Specialized
8.8

A common edible mussel with a dark blue or black shell that clings to rocks on coasts

is the broader term not limited to one species

How Edible

edible mussel
3.5
inedible
11 4.5

Surface Forms

edible mussel singular
edible mussels plural

Morphology

edible + mussel

The meaning 'a mussel suitable for eating' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'edible' (suitable to be eaten) with 'mussel' (a bivalve). This adjective+noun composition follows a standard, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Edible mussel comes from a simple, literal scene: a fisher or cook pointing to a mussel and saying it is edible. That image of someone choosing a shell and saying it is 'suitable for eating' explains why the phrase means a mussel you can eat today.