Definition

To take off the beard, which is a fibrous structure, from certain shellfish like mussels or clams.

Example

The chef will debeard the mussels before cooking them in the sauce.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Have you ever had to debeard mussels before cooking them?

Yeah, I did it once, and it was a bit tricky.

I found it easier when I used a knife to help debeard them.

That sounds smart! I’ll try that next time.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Debeard → The word is formed from the prefix 'de-' (meaning to remove or reverse) and 'beard' (from Old English 'beard', meaning facial hair). The term 'debeard' means to remove facial hair or to shave off a beard.

Memory Tip

Think of 'removing' ('de-') facial hair ('beard') — that's what debeard means.

Visually Confused Words