Bluepoint

/ˈbluːpɔɪnt/ noun

Definition

A small edible oyster originally found in Blue Point, Long Island, New York, known for having a distinctive blue-gray shell.

Etymology

Named after Blue Point, a village on Long Island where these oysters were originally harvested in the 19th century; 'blue' refers to the coloring of the shell, and 'point' comes from the geographic location.

Kelly Says

Bluepoint oysters became so popular in fancy restaurants that the name became genericized—nowadays you might get oysters labeled 'bluepoint' even if they're not from Blue Point, similar to how people call all tissues 'Kleenex,' showing how food names travel and lose their geographic specificity.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.