mus·sel [musselmussels] BrE [ˈmʌsl] NAmE [ˈmʌsl] noun a small ↑shellfish that can be eaten, with a black shell in two parts
Word Origin: Old English mus(c)le, superseded by forms from Middle Low German mussel, Middle Dutch mosscele; ultimately from late Latin muscula, from Latin musculus, diminutive of mus ‘mouse’ (some muscles being thought to be mouse-like in form).