Oster
/ˈɒstə/noun
An obsolete English form meaning “oyster.”
Did you know?The Greek ancestor óstreon meant “oyster” and was historically associated with ostéon, “bone,” likely because of the shell’s hard, bone-like appearance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ost-
“Bone; a hard structure”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὄστρεον (óstreon)
“Oyster; shellfish with a hard shell”
Classical Latin
Latin
ostrea
“Oyster”
Old French
Old French
oistre / ostre
“Oyster”
Middle English
Middle English
oster / ostre
“Oyster”
Modern English
English
oyster
“The surviving standard form; “oster” became obsolete”