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English

Etymology
From Hebrew būṣ, Aramaic bus via Greek βίσσος – 'a very fine yellowish flax and the linen woven from it', Latin byssus – 'fine cotton or cotton stuff', 'silk' and via New Latin to 'sea silk'.

Noun
byssus (plural byssuses)

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. The stipe or stem of some fungi which are particularly thin and thread-like.

Related terms
byssaceous
byssal
byssiferous
byssine
byssinosis
byssoid
byssogenous
byssolite

References
The Compact edition of the Oxford English dictionary: complete text reproduced micrographically and Supplement. Oxford at the Clarendon Press. 1987
Webster's Third New International Dictionary (Unabridged) 1976. G. & C. Merriam Co.

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