- octant n. 1. One eighth of a circle. 2a. A 45 degree arc. b. The area enclosed
by two radii at a 45 degree angle and the intersected arc.
- octave n. 1 Music a. The interval of eight diatonic degrees between two tones
of the same name, the higher of which has twice as many vibrations per second
as the lower. b. A tone that is eight diatonic degrees above or below another
given tone. g. The interval between any two frequencies having a ratio of 2 to
1. 3. A group of series of eight.
- octet n. 2. A group of eight: "A train of heavy wagons rumbled north on the
Winnipeg trail, drawn by octets of oxen" (GK).
- octogenarian adj. Being between 80 and 90 years of age. n.
- octopod n. Any of various cephalopod mollusks of the order Octopoda, such as
an octopus, having eight tentacles.
- octoroon n. A person whose ancestry is one-eighth Black. (Usage Note:
The mulatto, quadroon and octoroon originated with the racial policies of
European colonizers in the Americas, especially the Spanish.)
- octuple adj. 1. Consisting of eight parts or members. 2. Eight times as much
in size, strength, number, or amount. n. An eightfold amount or number. tr. &
intr.v. To multiply or be multiplied by eight.
- ocularist n. A person who is skilled in the design, fabrication, and fitting
of artificial eyes and in the making of prostheses associated with the
appearance or function of the eyes.
- oculist n. 1. A physician who treats diseases of the eyes; an
ophthalmologist. 2. An optometrist.
- oculogyric crisis n. A spasmodic movement of the eyeballs into a fixed
position, usually upward, that persists for several minutes or hours.
- oculus n. Architecture An eyelike opening or ornament, especially: a round
window. b. A circular opening at the apex of a dome.
- OD Slang n. 1a An overdose of a drug. b. An overdose of a substance or thing.
2. One who has taken an overdose. intr.v.
- odd adj. 2. Being in excess of the indicated or approximate number, extent, or
degree. Often used in combination: invited 30-odd guests. 3a. Constituting a
remainder: had some odd dollars left over. b. Small in amount: jingled the odd
change in my pockets. 4a. Being one of an incomplete pair or set: an odd shoe.
b. Remaining after others have been paired or grouped.
- oddball n. Informal A person regarded as eccentric.
- Odd Fellow n. A member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a fraternal
and benevolent secret society.
- odd man out n. One who, because of strangeness of behavior or belief, stands
alone in or out from from a group.
- odds pl.n. 1. A certain number of points given beforehand to a weaker side in
a contest to equalize the chances of all participants. 2a. The ratio of the
probability of an event's occurring to the probability of its not occurring. b.
The likelihood of the occurrence of one thing rather than the occurrence of
another thing, as in a contest: The odds are that she will get the nomination
on the first ballot. 4. An amount or a degree by which one thing exceeds or
falls short of another: won the contest by considerable odds.
- odds and ends pl.n. Miscellaneous items, remnants, or pieces.
- odds-on adj. Informal More likely than others to win; having a good chance of
success: "I was the odds-on favorite to become the next president of the Ford
Motor Company" (Lee Iacocca).
- odium n. 1. The state or quality of being odious. 2. Strong dislike, contempt,
or aversion. 3. A state of disgrace resulting from hateful or detestable
conduct.
- odontalgia n. A toothache.
- odontoid process n. A small, toothlike, upward projection from the second
vertebra of the neck around which the first vertebra rotates.
- oenology n. Variant of enology.
- oeuvre n. 1. A work of art. 2. The sum of the lifework of an artist, writer,
or composer.
- of prep. 17. Before; until: five minutes of two.
[Usage Note: double genitive construction.]
- off adj. 1a. Distant or removed; farther: the off side of the barn. b. Remote;
slim: stopped by on the off chance that they're home. 5. Slack: Production was
off this year. 6a. Not up to standard; below a normal or satisfactory level:
Your pitching is off today. b. Not accurate; incorrect: Your statistical
results are off. c. Somewhat crazy; eccentric: I think that person is a little
off. 7. Started on the way; going: I'm off to see the president. 9a. Being on
the right side of an animal or vehicle. (See also nigh) b. Being the animal or
vehicle on the right. prep. 3a. By consuming: living off locusts and honey. b.
With the means provided by: living off my pension. c. Informal From: "What
else do you want off me?" 6. So as to abstain from :went off narcotics. 7.
Nautical To seaward of: a mile off Sandy Hook. -intr. To go away; leave: Off
or I'll call the police. -tr. Slang To murder.
[Usage Note: The compound preposition 'off of' is generally regarded as
informal: "He stepped off (not off of) the platform." Off is informal as well
when used to indicate a source: formal style requires "I borrow it from (not
off) my brother."
- offal n. 1. Waste parts, especially of a butchered animal. 2. Refuse; rubbish.
- offbeat n. Music An unaccented beat in a measure. adj. Slang Not conforming to
an ordinary type or pattern; unconventional: offbeat humor.
- off-brand adj. Of or being a product sold inexpensively under a relative
unfamiliar brand name and often considered inferior to better known brands.
- off-color adj. 1. Exhibiting bad taste: an off-color joke. 2. Varying from the
usual, expected, or required color. 3. Not in good health or spirits.
- off-hand adv. Without preparation or forethoughts; extemporaneously. adj. also
offhanded.
- off-hour n. A period of time during which motor vehicular and pedestrian
traffic is light.
- officialese n. Language characteristic of official documents or statements,
especially when obscure, pretentiously wordy, or excessively formal.
- officialism n. Rigid adherence to official regulations, forms, and procedures.
- officiant n. One who performs a religious rite or presides over a religious
service or ceremony.
- officinal adj. 1. Readily available in pharmacies; not requiring special
preparation. 2. Recognized by a pharmacopoeia: an officinal herb. n. An
officinal drug.
- offing n. The part of the sea visible from shore that is very distant or
beyond anchoring ground. -idiom: in the offing.
- offish adj. Inclined to be distant and reserved; aloof.
- off-label adj. Of or relating to a drug prescribed to treat a condition for
which it has not been approved by the FDA.
- off-license n. Chiefly British A store that sells bottles or cans of alcoholic
beverages for consumption off the premises.
- off-limits adj. Not to be entered or frequented by a designated group: a bar
that is off-limits to military personnel.
- off rhyme n. A partial or imperfect rhyme, often using assonance or consonance
only, as in 'dry' and 'died' or 'grown' and 'moon.' Also called half rhyme,
near rhyme, oblique rhyme, slant rhyme.
- offscouring n. 1. Something that is scoured off or disposed of; refuse. Often
used in the plural. 2. A person regarded as fallen from society; an outcast.
Often used in the plural.
- offside adv. & adj. 1. Sports Illegally ahead of the ball or puck in the
attacking zone. n.
- off-the-cuff adj. Not prepared in advance; impromptu: an off-the-cuff remark.
- off-the-rack adj. Of, relating to, or being merchandise, especially clothing,
made in standard sizes; ready-made.
- off-the-wall adj. Informal 1. Very unconventional or unusual: manic,
off-the-wall creativity; off-the-wall humor. 2. Exhibiting bizarre behavior;
crazy: their off-the-wall friends.
- off-track betting n. Abbr. OTB A system of placing bets away from a racetrack.
- off-white n. A grayish or yellowish white. adj.
- off year n. 1. A year in which no major political elections occur. 2. A year
of reduced activity or production: an off year for soybean crops.
- oft adv. Often. Often used in combination: his oft-expressed philosophy;
oft-repeated tales.
- oil -idiom: oil (someone's) hand (or palm) Informal 1. To bribe: an attorney
who tried to oil the judge's hand to obtain a favorable verdict. 2. To give a
tip to: oil the porter's palm.
- oilbird n. See guacharo.
