Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter O - Page 1

O () O, the fifteenth letter of the English alphabet, derives its form, value, and name from the Greek O, through the Latin. The letter came into the Greek from the Ph/nician, which possibly derived it ultimately from the Egyptian. Etymologically, the letter o is most closely related to a, e, and u; as in E. bone, AS. ban; E. stone, AS. stan; E. broke, AS. brecan to break; E. bore, AS. beran to bear; E. dove, AS. d/fe; E. toft, tuft; tone, tune; number, F. nombre.

O () Among the ancients, O was a mark of triple time, from the notion that the ternary, or number 3, is the most perfect of numbers, and properly expressed by a circle, the most perfect figure.

O's (pl. ) of O

Oes (pl. ) of O

O (n.) The letter O, or its sound.

O (n.) Something shaped like the letter O; a circle or oval.

O (n.) A cipher; zero.

O' () A prefix to Irish family names, which signifies grandson or descendant of, and is a character of dignity; as, O'Neil, O'Carrol.

O' (prep.) A shortened form of of or on.

O (a.) One.

O (interj.) An exclamation used in calling or directly addressing a person or personified object; also, as an emotional or impassioned exclamation expressing pain, grief, surprise, desire, fear, etc.

Oad (n.) See Woad.

Oaf (n.) Originally, an elf's child; a changeling left by fairies or goblins; hence, a deformed or foolish child; a simpleton; an idiot.

Oafish (a.) Like an oaf; simple.

Oak (n.) Any tree or shrub of the genus Quercus. The oaks have alternate leaves, often variously lobed, and staminate flowers in catkins. The fruit is a smooth nut, called an acorn, which is more or less inclosed in a scaly involucre called the cup or cupule. There are now recognized about three hundred species, of which nearly fifty occur in the United States, the rest in Europe, Asia, and the other parts of North America, a very few barely reaching the northern parts of South America and Africa. Many of the oaks form forest trees of grand proportions and live many centuries. The wood is usually hard and tough, and provided with conspicuous medullary rays, forming the silver grain.

Oak (n.) The strong wood or timber of the oak.

Oaken (a.) Made or consisting of oaks or of the wood of oaks.

Oaker (n.) See Ocher.

Oakling (n.) A young oak.

Oakum (n.) The material obtained by untwisting and picking into loose fiber old hemp ropes; -- used for calking the seams of ships, stopping leaks, etc.

Oakum (n.) The coarse portion separated from flax or hemp in nackling.

Oaky (n.) Resembling oak; strong.

Oar (n) An implement for impelling a boat, being a slender piece of timber, usually ash or spruce, with a grip or handle at one end and a broad blade at the other. The part which rests in the rowlock is called the loom.

Oar (n) An oarsman; a rower; as, he is a good oar.

Oar (n) An oarlike swimming organ of various invertebrates.

Oared (imp. & p. p.) of Oar

Oaring (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Oar

Oar (v. t. & i.) To row.

Oared (a.) Furnished with oars; -- chiefly used in composition; as, a four-oared boat.

Oared (a.) Having feet adapted for swimming.

Oared (a.) Totipalmate; -- said of the feet of certain birds. See Illust. of Aves.

Oarfish (n.) The ribbon fish.

Oarfoot (n.) Any crustacean of the genus Remipes.

Oar-footed (a.) Having feet adapted for swimming.

Oarless (a.) Without oars.

Oarlock (n.) The notch, fork, or other device on the gunwale of a boat, in which the oar rests in rowing. See Rowlock.

Oarsmen (pl. ) of Oarsman

Oarsman (n.) One who uses, or is skilled in the use of, an oar; a rower.

Oarsweed (n.) Any large seaweed of the genus Laminaria; tangle; kelp. See Kelp.

Oary (a.) Having the form or the use of an oar; as, the swan's oary feet.

Oases (pl. ) of Oasis

Oasis (n.) A fertile or green spot in a waste or desert, esp. in a sandy desert.

Oast (n.) A kiln to dry hops or malt; a cockle.

Oats (pl. ) of Oat

Oat (n.) A well-known cereal grass (Avena sativa), and its edible grain; -- commonly used in the plural and in a collective sense.

Oat (n.) A musical pipe made of oat straw.

Oatcake (n.) A cake made of oatmeal.

Oaten (a.) Consisting of an oat straw or stem; as, an oaten pipe.

Oaten (a.) Made of oatmeal; as, oaten cakes.

Oaths (pl. ) of Oath

Oath (n.) A solemn affirmation or declaration, made with a reverent appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed.

Oath (n.) A solemn affirmation, connected with a sacred object, or one regarded as sacred, as the temple, the altar, the blood of Abel, the Bible, the Koran, etc.

Oath (n.) An appeal (in verification of a statement made) to a superior sanction, in such a form as exposes the party making the appeal to an indictment for perjury if the statement be false.

Oath (n.) A careless and blasphemous use of the name of the divine Being, or anything divine or sacred, by way of appeal or as a profane exclamation or ejaculation; an expression of profane swearing.

Oathable (a.) Capable of having an oath administered to.

Oathbreaking (n.) The violation of an oath; perjury.

Oatmeal (n.) Meal made of oats.

Oatmeal (n.) A plant of the genus Panicum; panic grass.

Ob- () A prefix signifying to, toward, before, against, reversely, etc.; also, as a simple intensive; as in oblige, to bind to; obstacle, something standing before; object, lit., to throw against; obovate, reversely, ovate. Ob- is commonly assimilated before c, f, g, and p, to oc-, of-, og-, and op-.

Obcompressed (a.) Compressed or flattened antero-posteriorly, or in a way opposite to the usual one.

Obconic (a.) Alt. of Obconical

Obconical (a.) Conical, but having the apex downward; inversely conical.

Obcordate (a.) Heart-shaped, with the attachment at the pointed end; inversely cordate: as, an obcordate petal or leaf.

Obdiplostemonous (a.) Having twice as many stamens as petals, those of the outer set being opposite the petals; -- said of flowers.

Obdiplostemony (n.) The condition of being obdiplostemonous.

Obdormition (n.) Sleep.

Obduce (v. t.) To draw over, as a covering.

Obduct (v. t.) To draw over; to cover.

Obduction (n.) The act of drawing or laying over, as a covering.

Obduracy (n.) The duality or state of being obdurate; invincible hardness of heart; obstinacy.

Obdurate (a.) Hardened in feelings, esp. against moral or mollifying influences; unyielding; hard-hearted; stubbornly wicked.

Obdurate (a.) Hard; harsh; rugged; rough; intractable.

Obdurate (v. t.) To harden.

Obduration (n.) A hardening of the heart; hardness of heart.

Obdure (v. t.) To harden.

Obdure (a.) Alt. of Obdured

Obdured (a.) Obdurate; hard.

Obdureness (n.) Alt. of Obduredness

Obduredness (n.) Hardness.

Obbe (n.) See Obi.

Obeah (n.) Same as Obi.

Obeah (a.) Of or pertaining to obi; as, the obeah man.

Obedible (a.) Obedient.

Obedience (n.) The act of obeying, or the state of being obedient; compliance with that which is required by authority; subjection to rightful restraint or control.

Obedience (n.) Words or actions denoting submission to authority; dutifulness.

Obedience (n.) A following; a body of adherents; as, the Roman Catholic obedience, or the whole body of persons who submit to the authority of the pope.

Obedience (n.) A cell (or offshoot of a larger monastery) governed by a prior.

Obedience (n.) One of the three monastic vows.

Obedience (n.) The written precept of a superior in a religious order or congregation to a subject.

Obedienciary (n.) One yielding obedience.

Obedient (a.) Subject in will or act to authority; willing to obey; submissive to restraint, control, or command.

Obediential (a.) According to the rule of obedience.

Obediently (adv.) In an obedient manner; with obedience.

Obeisance (n.) Obedience.

Obeisance (n.) A manifestation of obedience; an expression of difference or respect; homage; a bow; a courtesy.

Obeisancy (n.) See Obeisance.

Obeisant (a.) Ready to obey; reverent; differential; also, servilely submissive.

Obelion (n.) The region of the skull between the two parietal foramina where the closure of the sagittal suture usually begins.

Obeliscal (a.) Formed like an obelisk.

Obelisk (n.) An upright, four-sided pillar, gradually tapering as it rises, and terminating in a pyramid called pyramidion. It is ordinarily monolithic. Egyptian obelisks are commonly covered with hieroglyphic writing from top to bottom.

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