OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

oecumenical (ek'yu: men´i kэl) •adj. alt. sp. of ECUMENICAL

OED Oxford English Dictionary

oedema (i: di:´mэ) •n. chiefly Brit. sp. of EDEMA

Oedipal (ed´i pэl; also i:´di-) •adj. [also o-] of or relating to the Oedipus complex

Oedipus (ed´i pэs; also i:´di-) Gr. Myth. the son of Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes, who, raised by the king of Corinth, later returns to Thebes and unwittingly kills his father and marries his mother [L < Gr Oidipous (< oidein, to swell + pous, FOOT: lit., swollen foot)]

Oedipus complex Psychoanalysis the unconscious tendency of a child to be attached to the parent of the opposite sex and hostile toward the other parent: its persistence in adult life results in neurotic disorders: orig. restricted to a son's attachment: cf. ELECTRA COMPLEX

oeil-de-boeuf (ëyª dэ bëf´) pl. oeils-de-boeuf´ (ëyª-) •n. a round or oval window [Fr, eye of an ox]

oeillade (ë yåd´) •n. an amorous or flirting glance; ogle [Fr < oeil, an eye < L oculus, EYE]

OEM original equipment manufacturer

oenology (i: näl´э ji:) •n. the science or study of wines and winemaking oe·nol´o·gist •n. [< Gr oinos, wine (see VINE) + -LOGY]

oenomel (i:´nэ mel', en´э-) •n. a beverage of wine and honey, drunk by the ancient Greeks [LL oenomeli < Gr oinomeli < oinos, wine (see VINE) + meli, honey: see MEL]

Oenone (i: nou´ni:) Gr. Myth. a nymph deserted by her husband, Paris, for Helen of Troy [L < Gr Oinōnē]

oenophile (i:´nэ fail') •n. a person who loves wine; wine connoisseur

o'er (ou´эr, ör) •prep., adv. chiefly old poet. contr. of OVER

oersted (ør´sted') •n. the cgs electromagnetic unit of magnetic field, or magnetizing force, equal to a force of one dyne acting upon a unit magnetic pole in a vacuum: abbrev. Oe [after H. C. Oersted (1777-1851), Dan physicist]

oesophagus (i: säf´э gэs) •n. chiefly Brit. sp. of ESOPHAGUS

oestrous (i:´strэs, es´trэs) •adj. Brit. var. of ESTROUS

oestrus (i:´strэs, es´trэs) •n. Brit. var. of ESTRUS

oeuvre (ë´vřª) pl. oeu·vres (ë´vřª) •n. all the works, usually of a lifetime, of a particular writer, artist, or composer [Fr, lit., work]

of (ûv; also äv; unstressed, эv & often э) •prep. 1 from; specif., a) derived or coming from {men of Ohio} b) as relates to {how wise of her} c) resulting from; caused by; through {to die of fever} d) at a distance from; apart from {east of the city} e) proceeding as a product from; by {the poems of Poe} f) deprived, relieved, or separated from {cured of cancer, robbed of his money} g) from the whole, or total number, constituting {part of the time, one of her hats} h) made from; using (a specified substance) as the material {a sheet of paper, made of tin} 2 belonging to {pages of a book, the square root of a number} 3 a) having; possessing {a man of property} b) containing {a bag of nuts} 4 that is; having the designation; specified as {the State of Utah, a height of six feet} 5 as a kind of {a prince of a fellow} 6 with (something specified) as object, goal, etc. {a reader of books} 7 having as a distinguishing quality or attribute; characterized by {a man of honor, a year of plenty} 8 with reference to; concerning; about {think well of me} 9 set aside for; dedicated to {a day of rest} 10 a) during {of late years} b) on (a specified time) {he came of a Friday} 11 before: used in telling time {ten of nine} 12 [Archaic] by {rejected of men} Of is also used in various idiomatic expressions (as in of course), many of which are entered in this dictionary under the key words [ME < OE, unstressed var. of af, æf, away (from); akin to Ger ab < IE base *apo-, from, away from > L ab (see AB-), Gr apo-] OF Old French of abbrev. 1 outfield 2 outfielder

of- (öf, äf, эf) prefix OB-: used before f {offer}

O'Faoláin (ou'fэ lön´), Seán (shön) 1900-91; Ir. author

off abbrev. 1 offered 2 office 3 officer 4 official off (öf; also äf) •adv. 1 so as to be or keep away, at a distance, to a side, etc. {to move off, to ward off} 2 so as to be measured, divided, etc. {to pace off, to mark off} 3 so as to be no longer on, attached, united, covering, in contact, etc. {take off your hat, the paint wore off} 4 (a specified distance) away: a) in space {a town ten miles off} b) in time {a date two weeks off} 5 a) so as to be no longer in operation, function, continuance, etc. {turn the motor off} b) to the point of completion, extinction, or exhaustion {drink it off} 6 so as to be less, smaller, fewer, etc. {to allow 5% off for cash} 7 so as to lose consciousness {to doze off} 8 away from one's work or usual activity {to take a week off} •prep. 1 (so as to be) no longer (or not) on, attached, united, covering, in contact, etc. {it blew off the desk, a car off the road} 2 away from {to live off the campus} 3 a) from the substance of; on {to live off an inheritance} b) at the expense of 4 coming or branching out from {an alley off Main Street} 5 free or relieved from {off duty} 6 not up to the usual level, standard, etc. of {off one's game} 7 [Colloq.] no longer using, engaging in, supporting, etc.; abstaining from {to be off liquor} 8 [Colloq.] from {to buy something off another} •adj. 1 not on, attached, united, etc. {his hat is off} 2 not in operation, function, continuance, etc. {the motor is off} 3 gone away; on the way {be off to bed} 4 a) less, smaller, fewer, etc. {sales are off} b) lower in value 5 away from work, etc.; absent {the maid is off today} 6 not up to what is usual, normal, standard, etc. {an off day} 7 more remote; further {on the off chance, the off side} 8 on the right side, facing forward: said of an animal in double harness, a wagon wheel, etc.: opposed to NEAR 9 in (specified) circumstances {to be well off} 10 not correct; in error; wrong {his figures are off} 11 Cricket designating the side of the field facing the batsman •n. 1 the fact or condition of being off {turn the switch from off to on} 2 Cricket the off side •vt. [Slang] to kill; murder •interj. go away! stay away! Off is also used in various idiomatic expressions, many of which are entered in this dictionary under the key words off and on now and then; intermittently off with! put off! take off! remove! off with you! go away! depart! [LME var. of of, OF, later generalized for all occurrences of of in stressed positions]

-off (öf; also äf) combining form a contest of skill in a (specified) activity or field, esp. one in which finalists compete, as by preparing their own version of a recipe, to determine a champion {a chili cook-off}

off year 1 a year in which a major, esp. presidential, election does not take place 2 a year of little production, poor crops, etc. off´-year' (-yir') •adj.

offal (öf´эl) •n. 1 [with sing. or pl. v.] waste parts; esp., the entrails, etc. of a butchered animal 2 refuse; garbage [ME ofall, lit., off-fall]

Offaly (äf´э li:) county in Leinster province, central Ireland: 771 sq. mi. (1,996 sq. km); pop. 58,000

offbeat (öf´bi:t') •n. Music any of the beats of a measure that have weak, or secondary, accents •adj. Æ 1 Jazz with a strong, or primary, accent placed on beats that usually receive a weak, or secondary, accent 2 [Colloq.] not conforming to the usual pattern or trend; unconventional, unusual, strange, etc.

off-Broadway (öf´bröd´wei') •adj. designating, of, or produced in any theater located outside the main theatrical district in New York City and presenting professional productions that are often unconventional, experimental, low-cost, etc. •adv. in an off-Broadway theater or theaters •n. off-Broadway theaters and their productions collectively Also written Off Broadway

off-center (-sen´tэr) •adj. 1 not in the exact center 2 out of balance Also off-cen·tered

off-color (öf´kûl´эr) •adj. 1 varying from the usual, standard, or required color Æ 2 not quite proper; in rather poor taste; risqué {an off-color joke}

Offenbach (ôf´эn bäkh') city in SW Germany, on the Main River, in the state of Hesse: pop. 107,000 Offenbach (öf´ªn bäk'; Fr ôf en bäk´), Jacques (zhåk) (born Jakob Eberscht) 1819-80; Fr. composer of operettas, born in Germany

offence (э fens´) •n. Brit. sp. of OFFENSE

offend (э fend´) •vi. 1 to break a law, religious commandment, etc.; commit a sin or crime 2 to create resentment, anger, or displeasure; give offense •vt. 1 to hurt the feelings of; cause to feel resentful, angry, or displeased; insult 2 to be displeasing to (the taste, sense, etc.) 3 [Obs.] a) to transgress; violate b) to cause to sin of·fend´er •n. SYN.—offend implies a causing displeasure or resentment in another, intentionally or unintentionally, by wounding his or her feelings or by a breach of his or her sense of propriety [she will be offended if she is not invited]; affront implies open and deliberate disrespect or offense [to affront someone's modesty]; insult implies an affront so insolent or contemptuously rude as to cause deep humiliation and resentment [to insult someone by calling him a liar]; outrage implies an extreme offense against someone's sense of right, justice, propriety, etc. [he was outraged by the offer of a bribe] [ME offenden < OFr offendre < L offendere, to strike against < ob- (see OB-) + fendere, to hit, strike: see DEFEND]

offense (э fens´; often ö´fens', ä´-, û´-) •n. 1 an offending; specif., a) the act of breaking a law; sin or crime; transgression b) the act of creating resentment, hurt feelings, displeasure, etc. 2 the condition of being offended, esp. of feeling hurt, resentful, or angry; umbrage 3 [Rare] something that causes sinning or wrongdoing 4 something that causes resentment, anger, etc. 5 the act of attacking or assaulting; aggression 6 the person, army, etc. that is attacking Æ 7 the side that is seeking to score in any contest give offense to offend; anger, insult, etc. take offense to become offended; feel hurt, angry, etc. SYN.—offense implies displeased or hurt feelings as the result of a slight, insult, etc. [don't take offense at my criticism]; resentment adds implications of indignation, a brooding over an injury, and ill will toward the offender [a resentment cherished for days]; umbrage implies offense or resentment at being slighted or having one's pride hurt [he took umbrage at the tone of her letter]; pique suggests a passing feeling of ruffled pride, usually over a trifle; displeasure may describe a feeling varying from dissatisfaction or disapproval to anger and indignation [ME < MFr < L offensa < pp. of offendere: see OFFEND]

offenseless (э fens´lis) •adj. 1 not offending 2 lacking or incapable of offense

offensive (э fen´siv; often, ö´fen'-, ä´-, û´-) •adj. 1 attacking; aggressive 2 of or for attack Æ 3 designating or of the side that is seeking to score in any contest 4 unpleasant, as to the senses; disgusting; repugnant {an offensive odor} 5 causing resentment, anger, etc.; insulting •n. 1 attitude or position of attack: often with the 2 an attack or hostile action, esp. by armed forces of·fen´sive·ly •adv. of·fen´sive·ness •n. [ML offensivus < L offensa, OFFENSE]

offer (öf´эr, äf´-) •vt. 1 to present to God or a god in an act of worship: often with up {to offer prayers, offer up sacrifices} 2 to present for approval or acceptance; proffer; tender {to offer one's services} 3 to present for consideration; suggest; propose {to offer a plan} 4 to indicate or express one's willingness or intention (to do something) {to offer to go} 5 to show or give signs of {to offer resistance} 6 a) to present for sale b) to bid (a price, etc.) •vi. 1 to make a presentation or sacrifice in worship 2 to occur; present itself {when the opportunity offers} 3 [Rare] to make a proposal, as of marriage 4 [Archaic] to make an attempt (at) •n. 1 the act of offering 2 something offered; presentation, proposal, suggestion, bid, etc. 3 Law a proposal supported by adequate consideration, the full and complete acceptance of which constitutes a contract of´fer·er or of´fer·or •n. [ME offren < OE & OFr: OE offrian < LL(Ec) offerre, to offer to God, sacrifice; OFr offrir: both < L offerre, to bring before, present, show < ob- (see OB-) + ferre, to BEAR¹]

offering (öf´эr iŋ) •n. 1 the act of making an offer 2 something offered; specif., a) a gift or contribution b) presentation in worship; oblation Æ c) something offered for sale d) a theatrical presentation

offertory (öf´эr tör'i:) pl. -ries •n. [often O-] 1 a) the part of a Eucharistic service in which the bread and wine, before being consecrated, are offered to God b) the prayers said then c) a hymn or musical composition used then 2 a) the part of a church service during which money offerings are collected from the congregation b) the collection itself [ME offertorie < ML(Ec) offertorium < LL(Ec), place for offerings < offerre, to OFFER]

off-glide (öf´glaid') •n. a glide coming immediately after a speech sound, in which the vocal organs resume their normal inactive position or take the position for articulating a following sound: cf. ON-GLIDE

offhand (öf´hænd´, -hænd') •adv. without prior preparation or study; at once; extemporaneously •adj. 1 said or done offhand; extemporaneous; unpremeditated 2 casual, curt, informal, brusque, etc. Also off´hand´ed off´hand´ed·ly •adv. off´hand´ed·ness •n.

office (öf´is, äf´-) •n. 1 something performed or intended to be performed for another; (specified kind of) service {done through someone's good (or ill) offices} 2 a) a function or duty assigned to someone, esp. as an essential part of his work or position b) the function or characteristic action of a particular thing 3 a position of authority or trust, esp. in a government business, institution, etc. {the office of president} 4 Æ a) any of the branches of the U.S. Government ranking next below the departments {the Printing Office} b) [Chiefly Brit.] a governmental department {the Foreign Office} 5 a) the building, room, or series of rooms in which the affairs of a business, professional person, branch of government, etc. are carried on b) all the people working in such a place; staff 6 [pl.] [Chiefly Brit.] the rooms or buildings of a house or estate in which the servants carry out their duties 7 [often O-] a religious service or set of prayers; esp., DIVINE OFFICE [ME < ML(Ec) officium, divine rite < L, ceremonial observance] SYN. FUNCTION, POSITION in (or out of) office currently holding (or not holding) power or a particular position of authority [OFr < L officium < opificium, doing of work < opifex, a worker < opus, a work (see OPUS) + facere, to DO¹]

office boy a boy or man who works in an office, doing odd jobs and errands

office hours the hours during which an office is normally open for business or consultation

Office of Readings R.C.Ch. the first of the canonical hours; matins

officeholder (öf´is houl'dэr) •n. a government official

officer (öf´i sэr, äf´-) •n. 1 anyone elected or appointed to an office or position of authority in a government, business, institution, society, etc. 2 a police officer or constable 3 a person appointed to a position of authority in the armed forces; specif., COMMISSIONED OFFICER 4 the captain or any of the mates of a merchant ship 5 in certain honorary societies, a member of any grade above the lowest •vt. 1 to provide with officers 2 to command; direct; manage [ME < Anglo-Fr & OFr officier < ML officiarius < L officium, OFFICE]

officer of the day the military officer in overall charge of the security and guard at a military post for any given day

officer of the deck the officer in charge of a naval ship during a given watch

officer of the guard Mil. an officer in immediate command of the interior guard of a garrison

official (э fish´эl; often ou-) •adj. 1 of or holding an office, or position of authority 2 by, from, or with the proper authority; authorized or authoritative {an official request} 3 in a formal or ceremonious manner, often involving persons of authority {an official welcome to the city} 4 formally set or prescribed {the official date of publication} 5 Med., Pharmacy contained in the current pharmacopeia; authorized for use in medicine •n. 1 a person holding office, esp. public office 2 Sports one who supervises an athletic contest, as a referee, umpire, etc. of·fi´cial·ly •adv. [OFr < LL officialis]

officialdom (э fish´эl dэm) •n. 1 officials collectively 2 the domain or position of officials

officialese (э fish'эl i:z´) •n. the pompous, wordy, and involved language typical of official communications and reports [see -ESE]

officialism (э fish´эl iz'эm) •n. 1 the characteristic practices and behavior of officials; esp., excessive adherence to official routine and regulations; red tape 2 officials collectively; officialdom

officiant (э fish´эnt, -i: эnt) •n. an officiating priest, minister, etc. [< ML(Ec) officians (gen. officiantis)]

officiary (э fish´i: er'i:) pl. -ar'ies •n. Æ a group of officials •adj. connected with or resulting from the holding of an office [ML officiarius]

officiate (э fish´i: eit') -at'ed, -at'ing •vi. 1 to perform the duties of an office; act as an officer 2 to perform the functions of a priest, minister, rabbi, etc. at a religious ceremony 3 Sports to act as referee, umpire, etc. of·fi'ci·a´tion •n. of·fi´ci·a'tor •n. [< ML officiatus, pp. of officiare]

officinal (э fis´i nэl) •adj. [Obs.] commonly kept in stock in a pharmacy: said of products or drugs dispensed without prescription •n. [Obs.] an officinal drug or preparation [ML officinalis < officina, storeroom (of a monastery) < L, workshop, contr. of opificina < opifex, worker: see OFFICE]

officious (э fish´эs) •adj. 1 orig., ready to serve; obliging 2 offering unnecessary and unwanted advice or services; meddlesome, esp. in a highhanded or overbearing way 3 in diplomacy, unofficial or informal of·fi´cious·ly •adv. of·fi´cious·ness •n. [L officiousus < officium, OFFICE]

offing (öf´iŋ) •n. 1 the distant part of the sea visible from the shore 2 a position at a distance from the shore in the offing 1 at some distance but in sight 2 at some indefinite time in the future [< OFF]

offish (öf´ish) •adj. [Colloq.] STANDOFFISH

off-key (öf´ki:´) •adj. 1 not on the right note; flat or sharp 2 not quite in accord with what is normal, fitting, etc.

off-licence (-lai´sэns) •n. [Brit.] a shop, counter, etc. at which alcoholic beverages are sold by the bottle for consumption off the premises

off-limits (-lim´its) •adj. ruled to be a place that cannot be entered, visited, or patronized by a specified group

off-line (-lain´) •adj. designating or of equipment not directly connected to and controlled by the central processing unit of a computer

offload (-loud´) •vt., vi. UNLOAD (vt. 1a, 2b, 4, vi.) [OFF + LOAD, prob. orig. transl. of Afrik aflaai < Du afladen]

off-off-Broadway (öf´öf´bröd´wei') •adj. of or having to do with noncommercial, highly experimental theatrical productions, presented in small halls, cafes, etc. in New York City •adv. in such productions or locations •n. off-off Broadway productions collectively Also written Off-Off-Broadway

off-price (öf´prais') •adj. 1 designating or of retail stores, chains, etc. which sell high-quality merchandise, esp. clothing, at a price lower than the usual retail price 2 of such merchandise or those who manufacture or sell it

offprint (-print') •n. a separate reprint of an article, etc. that first appeared in a magazine or other larger publication •vt. to reprint (an excerpt, etc.) separately

off-putting (-put'iŋ) •adj. [Chiefly Brit.] tending to put one off; distracting, annoying, etc.

offramp (-ræmp') •n. a road leading off a main highway, freeway, etc.

off-road (-roud') •adj. designating or of a vehicle, as a dune buggy, for use off regular highways, streets, etc.

offscouring (-skaur'iŋ) •n. 1 [usually pl.] something scoured off; rubbish; refuse 2 an outcast from society: usually used in pl.

off-season (-si:'zэn) •n. a time of the year when the usual activity or business is reduced or not carried on •adj., adv. during or for the off-season

offset (öf´set'; for v., usually öf set´) •n. 1 something that is set off, or has sprung or developed, from something else; offshoot; extension; branch; spur 2 anything that balances, counteracts, or compensates for something else; compensation 3 rare var. of OUTSET 4 Archit. a ledge or recess formed in a wall by a reduction in its thickness above 5 Bot. a side shoot that takes root and starts a new plant 6 Elec. a branch off a main power line 7 Mech. a curve or bend in a metal bar, pipe, etc. to permit it to pass an obstruction 8 Printing a) OFFSET PRINTING b) an impression made by this process c) an ink smudge transferred from a freshly printed sheet to the one next to it 9 Surveying a short distance measured at right angles from the main line to help in computing the area of an irregular plot of ground •adj. 1 of, relating to, or being an offset 2 that is offset, off center, or at an angle •vt. -set´, -set´ting 1 to balance, complement, counteract, compensate for, etc. 2 to make an offset in 3 Printing a) to make (an impression) by offset printing b) to smudge with an offset •vi. 1 to come out or develop as an offset 2 Printing to make an offset

offset printing a printing process in which the inked impression is first made on a rubber-covered roller, then transferred to paper

offshoot (öf´shu:t') •n. anything that branches off, or derives from, a main source; specif., a shoot or stem growing laterally from the main stem of a plant

offshore (-shör´) •adj. 1 moving off or away from the shore {an offshore wind} 2 situated or in operation at some distance from shore Æ 3 engaged in outside the U.S. as by U.S. banks or manufacturers {offshore investments, offshore assembly plants} •adv. 1 away or far from the shore; seaward Æ 2 outside the U.S. {to borrow money offshore}

offside (-said´) •adj. Sports not in the proper position for play; specif., a) Football over the line of scrimmage or otherwise ahead of the ball before the play has begun, and hence subject to penalty b) Ice Hockey moving into the attacking zone ahead of the puck •adv. into an offside position {to jump offside} •n. an offside play

offspring (-spriŋ') pl. -spring' or -springs' •n. 1 a child or animal as related to its parent 2 a descendant or descendants collectively; progeny 3 a product, outcome, or result [ME ofspring < OE: see OFF & SPRING]

offstage (-steij', -steij´) •n. that part of a stage, as the wings, not visible to the audience •adj. in or from the offstage {an offstage whisper} •adv. 1 to the offstage {to go offstage} 2 when not actually appearing before the public

off-the-shelf (-ðэ shelf´) •adj. designating commercial products that are ready for use without modification

off-track (-træk´) •adj. designating or of legalized betting on horse races, carried on at places away from the racetrack

off-white (-hwait', -wait') •adj. of any of various shades of grayish-white or yellowish-white

O'Flaherty (ou flæ´hэr ti:), Li·am (li:´эm) 1897-1984; Ir. writer

OFr Old French

OFris Old Frisian

oft (öft) •adv. literary var. of OFTEN: now chiefly in compounds {an oft-heard expression} [ME < OE, akin to Ger oft, Dan ofte, Swed ofta, Goth ufta]

often (öf´эn; also äf´-; often, -tэn) •adv. many times; repeatedly; frequently •adj. [Archaic] frequent [ME var. of prec.]

oftentimes (-taimz') •adv. OFTEN: also [Old Poet.] oft´times'

OG 1 Football offensive guard 2 Officer of the Guard 3 Philately original gum Also, for 1 & 3, og og Football offensive guard

Ogbomosho (äg'bэ mou´shou) city in SW Nigeria: pop. 432,000

Ogden (äg´dэn, ög-), C(harles) K(ay) 1889-1957; Eng. educator & linguist: devised BASIC ENGLISH Ogden (äg´dэn, ög´) city in N Utah: pop. 64,000: see SALT LAKE CITY [after P. S. Ogden, a fur trader who explored the region in 1820]

ogdoad (äg´dou æd') •n. any group of eight [LL(Ec) ogdoas (gen. ogdoadis) < Gr ogdoas < oktō, EIGHT]

ogee (ou´ji:', ou ji:´) •n. 1 a molding having an S-shaped curve in profile 2 any S-shaped curve or line 3 an ogee arch [ME (pl.) oggez < OFr ogive, OGIVE]

ogee arch a pointed arch formed with the curve of an ogee on each side

ogham (äg´эm, ou´эm) •n. an alphabetic system of writing Old Irish developed in the 5th and 6th centuries A.D. in which the letters are represented by various combinations of lines or notches as carved along the edge of a memorial stone: also og´am [Ir < OIr ogam]

ogive (ou´jaiv', ou jaiv´) •n. 1 the diagonal rib or groin of a Gothic vault 2 a pointed, or Gothic, arch 3 a similarly shaped nose of a projectile, as a bullet or rocket o·gi´val •adj. [Fr < OFr, < ? Sp aljibe, a cistern < Ar al-ğubb, a well]

Oglala (äg lä´lэ) •n. 1 pl. -las or -la a member of a division of the Teton tribe of Dakota Indians, living in southwest South Dakota 2 their Dakota dialect [prob. < Siouan, lit., to scatter one's own]

ogle (ou´gэl; occas. äg´эl) o´gled, o´gling •vi., vt. to keep looking (at) boldly and with obvious desire; make eyes (at) •n. an ogling look o´gler •n. [prob. < LowG oegeln (akin to Ger äugeln) < oog, akin to OE eage, EYE]

Oglethorpe (ou´gªl θörp'), James Edward 1696-1785; Eng. general: founder of the colony of Georgia (1733)

ogre (ou´gэr) •n. 1 in fairy tales and folklore, a man-eating monster or giant 2 a hideous, coarse, or cruel man o´gre·ish or o´grish •adj. o´gress •n.fem. [Fr, prob. < MGr Ogōr, a Hungarian, prob. infl. by Fr orc < L Orcus, Pluto, Hades]

oh (ou) •interj. 1 an exclamation expressing surprise, fear, wonder, pain, etc. 2 a word used in direct address, as to attract attention {oh, waiter!} •n. pl. oh's or ohs any instance of this exclamation OH Ohio

O'Hara (ou hær´э), John 1905-70; U.S. author

OHG Old High German

O'Higgins (ou hig´эnz; Sp ô i:´gi:ns), Ber·nar·do (beř näř´dô) 1778-1842; Chilean revolutionary leader: 1st president of Chile (1817-23)

Ohio (ou hai´ou) 1 Middle Western State of the NC U.S.: admitted, 1803; 41,222 sq. mi. (106,765 sq. km); pop. 10,847,000; cap. Columbus: abbrev. OH or O 2 river formed by the junction of the Monongahela & the Allegheny at Pittsburgh, flowing southwestward into the Mississippi: 981 mi. (1,579 km) [< Fr < Iroquoian, lit., fine (or large) river] O·hi´o·an (-э wэn) •adj., n. [after the river]

ohm (oum) •n. the practical mks unit of electrical resistance, equal to the resistance of a circuit in which an electromotive force of one volt maintains a current of one ampere ohm´ic •adj. [after G. S. Ohm (1789-1854), Ger physicist]

ohmmeter (ou´mi:t'эr) •n. an instrument for measuring directly electrical resistance in ohms [prec. + -METER]

Ohm's law a law which states that the steady current through certain electric circuits is directly proportional to the applied electromotive force [see OHM]

oho (ou hou´) •interj. an exclamation expressing surprise, taunting, triumph, etc. [ME o ho!: see O & HO]

-oholic (э häl´ik) combining form -AHOLIC {beeroholic}

-oid (oid) suffix 1 forming adjectives like or resembling (something specified) {crystalloid} 2 forming nouns something resembling (something specified) {celluloid, android} [Gr -o-eidēs < -O-, termination of preceding element + -eidēs, -oid < eidos, a form, shape < IE base *weid-, to see > IDEA, WISE¹, L videre]

oil (oil) •n. 1 any of various kinds of greasy, combustible substances obtained from animal, vegetable, and mineral sources: oils are liquid at ordinary temperatures and soluble in certain organic solvents, as ether, but not in water 2 PETROLEUM 3 any of various substances having the consistency of oil 4 a) OIL COLOR b) OIL PAINTING 5 [Colloq.] smooth, hypocritical flattery •vt. 1 to smear, lubricate, or supply with oil 2 to bribe: chiefly in oil the palm (or hand) of •adj. of, from, like, or yielding oil, or having to do with the production or use of oil pour oil on troubled waters to settle quarrels, differences, etc. by calm, soothing methods Æ strike oil 1 to discover oil under the ground by drilling a shaft for it 2 to become suddenly wealthy oiled •adj. [ME oile < OFr < L oleum, oil, olive oil < Gr elaion, (olive) oil, akin to elaia, OLIVE]

oil beetle any of various small blister beetles (esp. genus Meloe) which, when disturbed, produce an oily secretion from the joints of the legs

oil cake a mass of crushed linseed, cottonseed, etc. from which the oil has been extracted, used as livestock feed and as a fertilizer

oil color a color or paint made by grinding a pigment in a drying oil, esp. linseed oil: also oil paint

oil field a place where oil deposits of value are found

oil of turpentine TURPENTINE (sense 3)

oil of vitriol SULFURIC ACID [so called because green vitriol was its source]

oil painting 1 a picture painted in oil colors 2 the art of painting in oil colors

oil palm a tropical African palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) whose seeds yield palm oil

oil pan the lower part of the crankcase of an internal-combustion engine, serving as a lubricating-oil reservoir

oil shale shale containing hydrocarbons which can be extracted, esp. by distillation

oil slick a layer of oil, esp. one floating on water and forming a smooth area

oil well a well bored through layers of rock, etc. to a supply of petroleum

oilbird (oil´børd') •n. GUACHARO

oilcan (oil´kæn') •n. a can for holding oil, esp. one with a spout, used for lubricating machinery, etc.

oilcloth (oil´klöθ') •n. cloth made waterproof with oil or, now especially, with heavy coats of paint: used to cover tables, shelves, etc.

oilcup (oil´kûp') •n. a container (in a machine) for releasing oil gradually as lubrication for moving parts

oiler (oil´эr) •n. 1 a person who oils machinery, engines, etc. 2 a device for oiling machinery, etc.; specif., OILCAN 3 a tanker for carrying oil, esp. one used to refuel other ships Æ 4 [Old Colloq.] an oilskin coat

oilman (-mэn) pl. -men (-mэn) •n. 1 a person working in an oil field 2 an entrepreneur or executive in the petroleum industry

oilpaper (oil´pei'pэr) •n. paper made transparent and waterproof by treatment with oil

oilskin (oil´skin') •n. 1 cloth made waterproof by treatment with oil 2 [often pl.] a garment or outfit made of this, as a coat, or a suit of jacket and trousers

oilstone (oil´stoun') •n. a whetstone treated with oil

oily (oil´i:) oil´i·er, oil´i·est •adj. 1 of, like, consisting of, or containing oil 2 covered with oil; fat; greasy 3 too smooth; slippery; unctuous oil´i·ly •adv. oil´i·ness •n.

oink (oiŋk) •n. the grunt of a pig, or a sound in imitation of it •vi. to grunt as or like a pig [echoic]

ointment (oint´mэnt) •n. a fatty substance applied to the skin for healing or cosmetic purposes; salve; unguent [ME oignement < OFr < VL *unguimentum, for L unguentum (see UNGUENT): the -t- in Eng from assoc. with obs. v. oint, to anoint]

OIr Old Irish

Oise (wåz) river flowing from S Belgium southwest through N France into the Seine: 186 mi. (299 km)

Oistrakh (oi´střäkh), David (Fyodorovich) 1908-74; Russ. violinist

Oita (oi´tä'; ou i:t´э) city in NE Kyushu, Japan: pop. 373,000

oiticica (oit'i si:´kэ) •n. a tree (Licania rigida) of the rose family, found in NE Brazil and yielding hard, heavy wood and large seeds rich in a drying oil (oiticica oil) similar to tung oil [Port < native (Tupi) name]

OJ or oj (ou´jei) •n. [Slang] orange juice

Ojibwa (ou jib´wei', -wä', -wэ) •n. 1 pl. -was' or -wa' a member of a North American Indian people living in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ontario 2 the Algonquian language of this people and certain neighboring groups, including the Ottawa, Algonquin, and Saulteaux •adj. designating or of the Ojibwas or their language or culture Also O·jib´way' (-wei') [Ojibwa ojibwe, orig. name of an Ojibwa band near Sault St. Marie: said to be < a root meaning puckered up, in allusion to the style of moccasins]

OK Oklahoma

OK or O.K. (ou kei´; ou´kei´, ou´kei') •adj., adv., interj. all right; correct •n. pl. OK's or O.K.'s approval; endorsement •vt. OK'd or O.K.'d, OK'ing or O.K.'ing to put an OK on; approve; endorse [orig. U.S. colloq.: first known use (March 23, 1839) by C. G. Greene, editor, in the Boston Morning Post, as if abbrev. for oll korrect, facetious misspelling of all correct; ? altered < Scot dial. och aye, ah yes, oh yes < Gael och, ah, oh + AYE²]

Oka (ô kä´) river in central European Russia, flowing northeast into the Volga: c. 950 mi. (1,529 km)

okapi (ou kä´pi:) pl. -pis •n.or -pi an African ruminant (Okapia johnstoni) in the same family (Giraffidae) as the giraffe, but having a much shorter neck [native Afr name]

Okavango (ou'kэ väŋ´gou) alt. sp. of OKOVANGGO

okay (ou kei´; ou´kei´, ou´kei') •adj., adv., interj., n., vt. colloq. var. of OK

Okayama (ô kä yä´mä) seaport in SW Honshu, Japan, on the Inland Sea: pop. 555,000

oke¹ (ouk) •n. in Turkey, Egypt, and other countries of the Near East, a unit of weight equal to about 2¾ lbs. (1.3 kilograms): also o·ka (ou´kэ) [< Turk ōqah < Ar ūqīyah < Gr oungia < L uncia: see OUNCE¹]

oke² (ouk) •interj. slang var. of OK

Okeechobee (ou'ki: chou´bi:), Lake lake in SE Fla. at the N edge of the Everglades: 700 sq. mi. (1,813 sq. km): main element of Okeechobee Waterway, a system of connected canals, rivers, & lakes across the Fla. peninsula: 155 mi. (250 km) [< AmInd]

O'Keeffe (ou ki:f´), Georgia 1887-1986; U.S. painter

Okefenokee Swamp (ou'kэ fэ nou´ki:) swamp in SE Ga. & NE Fla.: c. 700 sq. mi. (1,813 sq. km) [< AmInd name, lit., trembling earth + SWAMP]

O'Kelly (ou kel´i:), Sean T(homas) (shön) 1882-1966; Ir. nationalist leader: president of Ireland (1945-59)

okey-doke (ou'ki: douk´) slang var. of OK: also o'key-do´key (-dou´ki:) •adj., interj.

Okhotsk (ou kätsk´; Russ ô khôtsk´), Sea of arm of the Pacific, off the E coast of Siberia: 590,000 sq. mi. (1,528,000 sq. km)

Okie (ou´ki:) •n. a migratory agricultural worker, esp. one forced to migrate from Oklahoma or other areas of the Great Plains because of drought, farm foreclosure, etc., in the late 1930's [OK(LAHOMA) + -IE]

Okinawa (ou'kэ nä´wэ) largest island of the Ryukyus, in the W Pacific northeast of Taiwan: 454 sq. mi. (1,176 sq. km); cap. Naha City O'ki·na´wan •adj., n.

Oklahoma (ou'klэ hou´mэ) State of the SC U.S.: admitted, 1907; 69,919 sq. mi. (181,100 sq. km); pop. 3,146,000; cap. Oklahoma City: abbrev. OK or Okla O'kla·ho´man •adj., n. [< Choctaw okla, people + homma, red]

Oklahoma City capital of Okla., in the central part: pop. 445,000 (met. area 959,000)

Okovanggo (ou'kэ väŋ´gou) river in SW Africa, flowing from central Angola southeast into a marshy basin (Okovanggo Basin) in N Botswana: c. 1,000 mi. (1,609 km)

okra (ou´krэ) •n. 1 a tall annual plant (Abelmoschus esculentus) of the mallow family, grown for its slender, ribbed, sticky, green pods 2 the pods, used as a cooked vegetable and in soups, stews, etc. 3 GUMBO (sense 2) [< WAfr name]

Oktoberfest (äk tou´bэr fest') •n. 1 a beer-drinking festival held in Munich, Germany, in the fall 2 a similar festival held elsewhere [Ger]

OL Old Latin

-ol¹ (öl, oul) suffix Chem. an alcohol or phenol {menthol, thymol} [< (ALCOH)OL]

-ol² (oul, öl) suffix -OLE

-ola (ou´lэ) suffix 1 forming commercial names 2 forming nouns and adjectives: used as a slangy intensifier {payola}

Olaf (ou´lэf, -läf) 1 a masculine name 2 Olaf I (born Olaf Tryggvasson) c. 964-1000; king of Norway (995-1000): subject of many legends 3 Saint Olaf II (born Olaf Haraldsson) c. 995-1030; king of Norway (1015-28): patron saint of Norway: his day is July 29 4 Olaf V 1903-91; king of Norway (1957-91): son of Haakon VII Also sp. Olav [ON Olafr, Aleifr < *anulaibar, lit., descendant of the (original) ancestor < *anu (< IE *an-, ancestor > L anus, old woman) + -laibar (> Leifr, LEIF)]

Öland (ö länd´) Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, off the SE coast of Sweden: c. 520 sq. mi. (1,344 sq. km)

old (ould) old´er or eld´er, old´est or eld´est •adj. 1 having lived or been in existence for a long time; aged 2 of, like, or characteristic of aged people; specif., mature in judgment, wise, etc. 3 of a certain or specified age or duration {a child ten years old} 4 made or produced some time ago; not new 5 familiar or known from the past; accustomed {up to his old tricks} 6 [often O-] designating the form of a language in its earliest attested stage {Old English} 7 having been in use for a long time; worn out by age or use; shabby 8 that was at one time; former {my old teacher} 9 having had long experience or practice {an old hand at this work} 10 belonging to the remote past; having existed long ago; ancient {an old civilization} 11 dating or continuing from some period long before the present; of long standing {an old tradition} 12 designating the earlier or earliest of two or more {the Old World} 13 [Colloq.] dear: a term of affection or cordiality {old boy} 14 Geol. having reached the stage of greatly decreased activity or showing extensive reduction of topographical form: said of streams, mountain ranges, etc. Also used as a colloquial intensive, esp. after certain favorable adjectives [a fine old time, good old Al] •n. 1 time long past; yore {days of old} 2 a person of a specified age: used in hyphenated compounds {a six-year-old} 3 something old: with the old´ness •n. SYN.—old implies a having been in existence or use for a relatively long time [old shoes, old civilizations]; ancient specifically implies reference to times long past [ancient history]; antique is applied to that which dates from ancient times, or, more commonly from a former period [antique furniture]; antiquated is used to describe that which has become old-fashioned or outdated [antiquated notions of decorum]; archaic, in this connection, applies to that which is marked by the characteristics of an earlier period [an archaic iron fence surrounded the house]; obsolete is applied to that which has fallen into disuse or is out-of-date [obsolete weapons] —ANT. new, modern [ME < OE (Anglian) ald, WS, eald, akin to Ger alt < IE base *al-, to grow > L altus, old, alere, to nourish: basic sense grown]

old age the advanced years of life, esp. human life, when strength and vigor decline: cf. MIDDLE AGE

Old Bailey (ould´ bei´li:) historic criminal court in London on Old Bailey Street

Old Boy [often o- b-] [Colloq., Chiefly Brit.] an alumnus, esp. of a boys' preparatory school

Old Castile see CASTILE

Old Catholic a member of any of a number of nationalist churches rejecting various Roman Catholic tenets (esp. papal supremacy and papal infallibility) officially promulgated in relatively recent times: the churches were organized mainly in the late 19th cent.

Old Church Slavonic the South Slavic language used in the 9th-century Bible translation by Cyril and Methodius and still used as a liturgical language by Orthodox Slavs but extinct as a vernacular: also called Old Church Slavic or Old Bulgarian

old country the country from which an immigrant came: said esp. of a country in Europe

Old Delhi see DELHI (the city)

Old Dominion name for VIRGINIA (the State)

Old Dutch the Dutch language in its oldest stage: it is actually recorded only on fragmentary relics, but may be reconstructed from Middle Dutch and from loan words in related languages: cf. OLD LOW FRANCONIAN

Old English 1 the West Germanic, Low German language of the Anglo-Saxons, comprising West Saxon, the major literary dialect, and the Kentish, Northumbrian, and Mercian dialects: it was spoken in England from c. 400 to c. 1100 A.D. 2 BLACK LETTER

Old English sheepdog any of a breed of stocky, muscular, medium-sized dog, orig. bred in England as a drover's dog, with a profuse, shaggy coat, usually gray or bluish gray, and a docked tail or no tail

Old Faithful a noted geyser in Yellowstone National Park, which erupts about every 67 minutes

old fogy or old fogey see FOGY

Old French the French language from c. 800 to c. 1550 A.D., esp. French from the 9th to the 14th century: cf. MIDDLE FRENCH

Old Frisian a West Germanic language, closely related to Old English, preserved in documents from the 13th to the 16th century

Old Glory name for the flag of the United States

old gold a soft, yellowish, metallic color

Old Guard 1 the imperial guard, organized by Napoleon I in 1804 2 any group that has long defended a cause 3 the most conservative element of a group, party, etc. [transl. of Fr Vieille Garde: so named in contrast to the Young Guard, formed (1810)]

old hand a person with much skill or experience

Old Harry the Devil; Satan

old hat [Slang] 1 old-fashioned; out-of-date 2 well-known or familiar to the point of being trite or commonplace Used predicatively

Old Hickory name for Andrew JACKSON

Old High German the High German language from the 8th to the 12th century

Old Icelandic the dialect of Old Norse spoken in Iceland from the 9th to the 16th century

Old Indic 1 the Indo-European languages of ancient India including early and classical Sanskrit, as well as Pali and the oldest vernaculars (Prakrits) 2 Sanskrit and Vedic

Old Ionic a dialect of ancient Greek: the language of Homer

Old Irish Irish Gaelic from the earliest period to the 11th century

old lady [Slang] 1 one's mother 2 one's wife 3 one's girlfriend or mistress, often, specif., when one lives with her

Old Latin the Latin language before c. 75 B.C.

Old Low Franconian the West Germanic language of the Franks of the lower Rhine before c. 1100 A.D., the ancestor of Dutch and Flemish: also called Old Low Frankish

Old Low German the Low German language from its earliest period to the 12th century A.D.

old maid 1 a woman, esp. an older woman, who has never married; spinster: a mild term of contempt 2 a prim, prudish, fussy person 3 a simple card game played with a deck containing one card with no match, the loser being the player left with that card after all the others have been paired old'maid´ish •adj.

old man [Slang] 1 one's father 2 one's husband 3 [usually O- M-] any man in authority, as the head of a company, captain of a vessel, military commander, etc.: with the 4 one's boyfriend or lover, often, specif., when one lives with him 5 old Mr. ~: often used to distinguish the father from the son

Old Man of the Sea in the Arabian Nights, an old man who clung to the back of Sinbad for many days and nights

Old Man River name for MISSISSIPPI (the river)

old master 1 any of the great European painters before the 18th cent. 2 a painting by any of these

old moon the moon in its last quarter; waning crescent

Old Nick the Devil; Satan [prob. contr. < NICHOLAS, but ? *nik- < Gmc *niq-, water sprite, goblin: see NIX¹]

Old Norman French NORMAN FRENCH (sense 1)

Old Norse 1 the North Germanic language of the Scandinavian peoples before the 14th century 2 loosely, Old Icelandic

Old North French the dialects of Old French spoken in N France, esp. those of Picardy and Normandy

Old Persian the oldest form of Persian, preserved in stone inscriptions dating from the 7th to the 4th century B.C.

Old Pretender name for James Francis Edward STUART

Old Prussian a Baltic language which became extinct in the 17th century

old rose a grayish or purplish red old-rose (ould´rouz´) •adj.

Old Saxon a West Germanic language, the oldest type of Low German, known chiefly from manuscripts of the 9th and 10th centuries A.D.

old school a group of people who cling to traditional or conservative ideas, methods, etc.

old school tie 1 a necktie striped in the distinctive colors of any of the exclusive English public schools 2 loyalties, traditions, attitudes, etc. of, or like those of, the graduates of such a school

Old Slavic OLD CHURCH SLAVONIC

old sledge SEVEN-UP

Old South the South before the Civil War

Old Spanish the Spanish language from c. 1145 to the 16th century

Old Stone Age the Paleolithic

Old Style 1 the old method of reckoning time according to the Julian calendar, which was off one day every 128 years 2 [o- s-] an old style of type with narrow, light letters having slanted strokes at the top old´-style' •adj.

Old Testament Christian designation for the Holy Scriptures of Judaism, the first of the two general divisions of the Christian Bible: cf. BIBLE

Old Welsh the Welsh language from the earliest period to c. 1150

old wives' tale a silly story or superstitious belief

Old World the Eastern Hemisphere; Europe, Asia, and Africa: often used specifically with reference to European culture, customs, etc.

Oldcastle (ould´kæs'ªl), Sir John Lord Cobham, c. 1378-1417; Eng. Lollard leader: executed as a heretic

olden (oul´dэn, old´ªn) •adj. [Old Poet.] old; ancient; of old, or of former times [ME, inflected form of old]

Oldenburg (oul´dªn børg'), Claes (klæs) 1929- ; U.S. sculptor, born in Sweden Oldenburg (oul´dªn børg'; Ger oul´dэn buřkh') 1 former state of NW Germany, earlier a grand duchy 2 city in NW Germany, in the state of Lower Saxony: pop. 138,000

oldfangled (ould´fæŋ´gэld) •adj. OLD-FASHIONED [OLD + (NEW)FANGLED]

old-fashioned (ould´fæsh´эnd) •adj. suited to or favoring the styles, methods, manners, or ideas of past times; esp., out-of-date; antiquated; outmoded Æ n. [also O- F-] an iced cocktail containing whiskey, bitters, sweetening, and a small amount of water, and garnished with pieces of fruit

Oldham (oul´dэm) city in NW England, in the county of Greater Manchester: pop. 95,000

oldie or oldy (oul´di:) pl. old´ies •n. [Colloq.] an old joke, saying, song, movie, etc.

oldish (oul´dish) •adj. somewhat old

old-line (ould´lain') •adj. 1 with an old, well-established history 2 following tradition; conservative

Oldowan (öl´dэ wän', -wэn; äl´-) •adj. designating or of the oldest known Lower Paleolithic culture, characterized by pebble tools usually flaked in two directions to form simple cutters, choppers, scrapers, etc. [after Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, where remains have been found]

oldsquaw (ould´skwä´) •n. a sea duck (Clangula hyemalis) of N regions, with mostly black-and-white coloration and a long, pointed tail

oldster (ould´stэr) •n. [Colloq.] a person who is no longer young or middle aged; old or elderly person [see -STER]

old-time (ould´taim´, -taim') •adj. 1 of, like, or characteristic of past times 2 of long standing or experience {an old-time journalist}

old-timer (ould´tai´mэr, -tai'-) •n. [Colloq.] 1 a person who has been a resident, employee, member, etc. for a long time Æ 2 a person who is old-fashioned Æ 3 an old or elderly person; oldster

oldwife (ould´waif') pl. -wives' (-waivz') •n. 1 [Archaic] an old woman Æ 2 OLDSQUAW 3 any of various sea fishes

old-womanish (-wum´эn ish) •adj. like, characteristic of, or suitable for an old woman; fussy

-ole (oul) Chem. suffix 1 any of certain closed-chain compounds with five members {pyrrole} 2 any of certain chemical compounds without hydroxyl, esp. any of certain aldehydes and ethers {anisole} [< L oleum, OIL]

olé (ô lei´) •interj., n. a shout of approval, triumph, joy, etc., as at bullfights or flamenco dances [Sp, prob. < hola, hollo, echoic of shout]

oleaginous (ou'li: æj´i nэs) •adj. oily; greasy; unctuous o'le·ag´i·nous·ly •adv. o'le·ag´i·nous·ness •n. [Fr oléagineux < L oleaginus < olea, olive tree (< Gr elaia, olive, olive tree)]

oleander (ou´li: æn'dэr, ou'li: æn´dэr) •n. a poisonous evergreen shrub (Nerium oleander) of the dogbane family, with fragrant flowers of white, pink, or red and narrow, leathery leaves [ML, earlier also lorandrum: altered < ? L rhododendron]

oleaster (ou´li: æs'tэr, ou'li: æs´tэr) •n. any of several plants (genus Elaeagnus) of the oleaster family, often grown for ornament; esp. the Russian olive •adj. designating a family (Elaeagnaceae, order Proteales) of dicotyledonous plants, including buffalo berry [ME oliaster < L < olea: see OLEAGINOUS]

oleate (ou´li: eit') •n. a salt or ester of oleic acid

olecranon (ou lek´rэ nän'; also ou'li krei´nän') •n. the part of the ulna projecting behind the elbow joint [ModL < Gr ōlekranon (for ōlenokronon) < ōlenē, elbow (see ELL²) + kranion, the head: see CRANIUM]

olefin (ou´lэ fin) •n. ALKENE: also o´le·fine (-fin, -fi:n') o'le·fin´ic (-fin´ik) •adj. [< Fr (gaz) oléfiant < L oleum, OIL + prp. of Fr fier, to make < L facere: see DO¹]

olefin series ETHYLENE SERIES

oleic (ou li:´ik, -lei´-; ou´li:-) •adj. 1 of or obtained from oil 2 of or pertaining to oleic acid [< L oleum, OIL + -IC]

oleic acid an oily acid, C17H33COOH, present in the form of the glyceryl ester in most animal and vegetable fats and oils, used in making soap, ointments, etc.

olein (ou´li: in) •n. 1 a liquid glyceride, (C17H33CO2)3C3H5, present in olive oil and certain other oils and fats 2 the liquid part of any fat, as distinguished from the solid part [Fr oléine < L oleum, OIL]

oleo (ou´li: ou') •n. [Old-fashioned] short for OLEOMARGARINE

oleo- (ou´li: ou, -э) combining form oil, olein, or oleic {oleograph} [L < oleum, OIL]

oleo oil a butterlike oil obtained from animal fat

oleo strut a shock-absorbing strut in the landing gear of some airplanes, consisting of a telescopic cylinder containing oil

oleograph (ou´li: ou græf', -li: э-) •n. a chromolithograph finished so that its surface resembles that of an oil painting on canvas o'le·o·graph´ic •adj. o'le·og´ra·phy (-äg´rэ fi:) •n. [prec. + -GRAPH]

oleomargarine or oleomargarin (ou'li: ou mär´jэ rin) •n. old term for MARGARINE [Fr oléomargarine: see OLEO- & MARGARINE]

oleoresin (ou'li: ou rez´эn, ou´li: ou rez'-) •n. 1 a mixture of a resin and an essential oil, as turpentine, occurring naturally in various plants 2 a prepared mixture of an essential oil holding resin in solution

olfaction (äl fæk´shэn) •n. 1 the sense of smell 2 the act of smelling [< L olfacere: see OLFACTORY]

olfactometer (äl'fæk täm´эt эr) •n. a device for measuring the acuteness of the sense of smell ol·fac'to·met´ric (-tou met´rik) •adj. ol'fac·tom´e·try •n. [fol. + -METER]

olfactory (äl fæk´tэ ri:; often oul-) •adj. of the sense of smell Also ol·fac´tive •n. pl. -ries [usually pl.] an organ of smell [< L olfactus, pp. of olfacere, to smell < olere, to have a smell (akin to odor, ODOR) + facere, to make: see DO¹]

olfactory nerve either of the first pair of cranial nerves that arise in the mucous membranes within the upper part of the nose and transmit impulses concerned with the sense of smell to the forebrain

olfactronics (äl'fæk trän´iks) •n.pl. [with sing. v.] the science that deals with the detection and measurement by instruments of vapors and particles given off by different substances [< OLFACT(O)R(Y) + (ELECTR)ONICS]

OLG Old Low German

Olga (äl´gэ, öl´-, oul´-) a feminine name [Russ < ON Helga, holy < heilagr, akin to OE heilag, HOLY]

olibanum (ou lib´э nэm) •n. FRANKINCENSE [ME < ML < Ar al-luban, frankincense, akin to Heb lebōnā > Gr libanos]

oligarch (äl´i gärk') •n. any of the rulers of an oligarchy [Gr oligarchēs: see OLIGO- & -ARCH]

oligarchy (äl´i gär'ki:) pl. -gar'chies •n. 1 a form of government in which the ruling power belongs to a few persons 2 a state governed in this way 3 the persons ruling such a state ol'i·gar´chic or ol'i·gar´chi·cal (-kэl) •adj. [Gr oligarchia: see OLIG(O)- & -ARCHY]

oligo- (äl´i gou, äl´э-; -gэ) combining form few, scant, small, a deficiency of {oligochaete} Also, before a vowel, olig- [Gr oligo- < oligos, small, akin to loigos, destruction, death < IE base *(o)leig-, wretched, illness > Lith ligà, disease]

Oligocene (äl´i gou si:n') •adj. designating or of the third epoch of the Tertiary Period in the Cenozoic Era between the Eocene and the Miocene the Oligocene the Oligocene Epoch or its rocks: see GEOLOGY, chart [prec. + -CENE]

oligochaete (-ki:t') •n. any of a class (Oligochaeta) of annelid worms, as the earthworm, lacking a definite head and having relatively few body bristles: found chiefly in moist soil and fresh water ol'i·go·chae´tous •adj. [ModL Oligochaeta: see OLIGO- & CHAETA]

oligoclase (-kleis') •n. a plagioclase feldspar whose composition corresponds to 70 to 90 percent albite [Ger oligoklas < Gr oligos (see OLIGO-) + klasis, a fracture (see CLASTIC), in contrast to ORTHOCLASE, because cleavage differs slightly from 90°]

oligophagous (äl'i gäf´э gэs) •adj. feeding upon a limited variety of food, as certain caterpillars whose diet is restricted to a few related plants [OLIGO- + -PHAGOUS]

oligopoly (äl'i gäp´э li:) pl. -lies •n. control of a commodity or service in a given market by a small number of companies or suppliers ol'i·gop´o·list •n. ol'i·gop'o·lis´tic •adj. [OLIG(O)- + (MON)OPOLY]

oligopsony (-sэ ni:) pl. -nies •n. control of the purchase of a commodity or service in a given market by a small number of buyers ol'i·gop´so·nist •n. ol'i·gop'so·nis´tic •adj. [OLIG(O)- + Gr opsōnia, a purchase of food, catering < opsōnein: see OPSONIN]

oligosaccharide (äl'i gou sæk´э raid') •n. any of a group of carbohydrates consisting of a small number (2 to 10) of simple sugar molecules [OLIGO- + SACCHARIDE]

oligotrophic (-träf´ik, -trou´fik) •adj. designating or of a lake, pond, etc. poor in plant nutrient minerals and organisms and usually rich in oxygen at all depths ol·i·got·ro·phy (äl'э gät´rэ fi:) •n. [OLIGO- + TROPHIC]

oliguria (äl'i gyur´i: э) •n. a condition characterized by the excretion of an abnormally small amount of urine [ModL: see OLIGO- & -URIA]

olio (ou´li: ou') pl. o´li·os' •n. 1 a highly spiced stew of meat and vegetables; olla 2 a collection, or miscellany, as of musical numbers [< Sp olla: see OLLA]

olivaceous (äl'э vei´shэs) •adj. of or like the olive; esp., olive-green [ModL olivaceus: see OLIVE & -ACEOUS]

olivary (äl´э ver'i:) •adj. Anat. 1 shaped like an olive 2 designating or of either of two oval bodies protruding from the sides of the medulla oblongata [L olivarius]

olive (äl´iv) •n. 1 a) an evergreen tree (Olea europaea) of the olive family, native to S Europe and the Near East, with leathery leaves, yellow flowers, and an edible fruit b) the small, oval fruit of this tree, eaten green or ripe as a relish, or pressed to extract olive oil 2 the wood of this tree 3 any of various plants resembling the olive 4 an olive branch or wreath 5 the dull, yellowish-green color of the unripe olive fruit •adj. 1 of the olive 2 a) olive-colored b) having a dark complexion tinged with this color 3 designating a family (Oleaceae, order Scrophulariales) of dicotyledonous trees and shrubs with loose clusters of four-parted flowers, including the ashes, lilacs, jasmines, and forsythias [OFr < L oliva < Gr elaia] Olive (äl´iv) a feminine name: var. Olivia [ME oliva < L, an olive]

olive branch 1 the branch of the olive tree, traditionally a symbol of peace 2 any peace offering

olive drab 1 any of various shades of greenish brown, much used as a camouflage color in the armed forces 2 woolen cloth dyed this color and used for uniforms by the U.S. Army 3 [pl.] a uniform of this cloth ol·ive-drab (äl´iv dræb´) •adj.

olive green the color of the unripe olive

olive oil a light-yellow oil pressed from ripe olives, used in cooking, salad dressings, liniments, soap, etc.

olivenite (ou liv´э nait', äl´э vэ-) •n. a native copper arsenate, Cu2(OH)AsO4, olive-green to dark-green in color [Ger oliven(erz), olive (ore) + -ITE¹]

Oliver (äl´э vэr) 1 a masculine name 2 one of Charlemagne's twelve peers, a friend of Roland: see ROLAND [Fr Olivier: form assimilated to OFr olivier, olive tree < L olivarius, but prob. < MLowG alfihar, lit., elf-army < alf, elf + hari, a host, army]

Olives , Mount of ridge of hills east of Jerusalem: also Mount Ol·i·vet (äl´э vet', -vэt)

Olivia (ou liv´i: э, э-) a feminine name: see OLIVE

Olivier (ou liv´i: ei'), Laurence (Kerr) Baron Olivier of Brighton 1907-89; Brit. actor

olivine (äl´э vi:n') •n. an orthorhombic silicate of magnesium and iron, (Mg,Fe)2SiO4, existing usually as green crystals in many highly basic igneous rocks, used esp. in refractories ol'i·vin´ic (-vin´ik) •adj. [OLIV(E) + -INE¹]

olla (äl´э; Sp ôl´yä) •n. Æ 1 a large-mouthed pot or jar of earthenware 2 a highly spiced stew of meat and vegetables [Sp < L, a pot: see OVEN]

olla-podrida (äl'э pou dri:´dэ) •n. 1 an olla (stew) 2 any assortment, medley, or miscellany; olio [Sp, lit., rotten pot < olla, pot (< L) + podrida, rotten < L putridus: see PUTRID]

Olmec (äl´mek') pl. -mecs' •n.or -mec' a member of an ancient Indian people centered in the Mexican states of Tabasco and Veracruz •adj. designating or of the culture of this people, characterized by a highly developed system of agriculture, huge sculptured heads, and carved jade

Olmsted (oum´sted', äm´-, -stэd), Frederick Law 1822-1903; U.S. landscape architect

ology (äl´э ji:) pl. -gies •n. a branch of learning; science: a humorous usage [< fol.]

-ology (äl´э ji:) combining form -LOGY [initial medial -O- + -LOGY]

oloroso (ou'lou rou´sou) •n. a dark, medium-sweet sherry [Sp, fragrant]

Olympia (ou lim´pi: э, э-) 1 a feminine name 2 plain in ancient Elis, W Peloponnesus: site of the ancient Olympic games: see GREECE, map 3 capital of Wash.: seaport on Puget Sound: pop. 34,000 [after OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS] [L < Gr, fem. of Olympios, lit., of Olympus]

Olympiad (ou lim´pi: æd', э-; -эd) •n. [often o-] 1 in ancient Greece, any of the four-year periods between Olympic games: used by the Greeks in computing time 2 a celebration of the modern Olympic games [Fr olympiade < Gr Olympias (gen. Olympiados) < Olympia, OLYMPIA (the plain)]

Olympian (ou lim´pi: эn, э-) •n. 1 Gr. Myth. any of the twelve major gods supposed to live on the slopes of Mount Olympus 2 a native of Olympia 3 any participant in the ancient or modern Olympic games •adj. 1 of Olympia or Mount Olympus 2 like an Olympian god; exalted; celestial; majestic 3 designating or of the Olympic games of ancient Greece [< LL Olympianus, Olympic]

Olympic (ou lim´pik, э-) •adj. of or having to do with the OLYMPIC GAMES •n. 1 an Olympic game 2 [pl.] OLYMPIC GAMES: preceded by the [L Olympicus < Gr Olympikos]

Olympic games 1 an ancient Greek festival consisting of contests in athletics, poetry, and music, held every four years at Olympia to honor Zeus 2 a modern international athletic competition generally held every four years in a selected city: it includes track and field events, swimming, team games, etc., and, at another site and time, various winter sports

Olympic Mountains one of the Coast Ranges on Olympic Peninsula, NW Wash.: highest peak, Mt. Olympus

Olympic National Park national park in NW Wash., around Mount Olympus: 1,389 sq. mi. (3,598 sq. km)

Olympic Peninsula peninsula in NW Wash., between Puget Sound & the Pacific

Olympus (ou lim´pэs, э-) 1 Mount mountain in N Greece, between Thessaly & Macedonia: c. 9,580 ft. (2,920 m): in Greek mythology, the home of the gods 2 Mount highest peak of the Olympic Mountains, NW Wash.: 7,965 ft. (2,428 m) [after the mountain in Greece] [L < Gr Olympos]

Olynthus (ou lin´θэs) city in ancient Greece, on the Chalcidice Peninsula

OM Order of Merit om (oum) •n. Hinduism a word of affirmation or assent intoned as part of a mantra or as a symbolic mystical utterance during meditation [Sans om]

-oma (ou´mэ) suffix tumor {lymphoma, sarcoma} [ModL < Gr -ōma, group, mass]

Omaha (ou´mэ hö, -hä) city in E Nebr., on the Missouri River: pop. 336,000 (met. area 618,000) [< Fr < Siouan tribal name; lit., ? upstream people]

Oman (ou män´) 1 SE coastal region of Arabia, on the Arabian Sea 2 country in this region: an independent sultanate: 82,000 sq. mi. (212,380 sq. km); pop. 1,270,000; cap. Muscat 3 Gulf of arm of the Arabian Sea, between Iran & Oman in Arabia: c. 350 mi. (c. 564 km) long O·man´i (-i:) •adj., n.

Omar Khayyám (ou´mär kai yäm´, ou´mэr kai yæm´) died 1123; Pers. poet & mathematician: author of The Rubáiyát, translated into English by Edward FitzGerald

omasum (ou mei´sэm) pl. o·ma´sa (-sэ) •n. the third division in the stomach of a cud-chewing animal, as the cow: see RUMINANT, illus. [ModL < L, bullock's tripe < Gaul]

Omayyad (ou mai´æd', -yæd') pl. -yads' or -ya·des' (-э di:z', -yэ-) any of a dynasty of Muslim caliphs who ruled at Damascus (661-750 A.D.), or of a closely related branch ruling in Spain (756-1031) •n. [after Omayya, great-grandfather of the first caliph in the dynasty]

OMB Office of Management and Budget

omber or ombre (äm´bэr) •n. a card game played with forty cards by three players, popular in the 17th and 18th cent. [< Fr or Sp: Fr ombre < Sp hombre < L homo, a man: see HOMAGE]

ombré (äm´brei', äm brei´) •adj. shaded or graduated in tone: said of a color [Fr, pp. of ombrer, to shade < L umbrare < umbra, shade]

ombudsman (äm´bэdz mэn, -mæn'; -bûdz'-; äm bûdz´-) pl. -men (-mэn) •n. 1 a public official appointed to investigate citizens' complaints against government agencies or officials that may be infringing on the rights of individuals 2 a person employed by an institution to investigate complaints against it [Swed < ombud, a deputy, representative (< ON umboth < um, umbe, about < IE *mbhi-, var. of *ambhi-, around, on both sides (> AMBI-) + ON bjotha, to offer, bid, akin to OE beodan: see BID¹ + man, MAN]

Omdurman (äm'dur män´) city in WC Sudan, on the Nile, opposite Khartoum: pop. 305,000

omega (ou mei´gэ, -meg´э, -mi:´gэ) •n. 1 name of the twenty-fourth and final letter of the Greek alphabet (Ω, ω) 2 the last (of any series); end [Gr ō + mega, great (see MEGA-): lit., great (i.e., long) o, to distinguish from o mikron: see OMICRON]

omelet or omelette (äm´э lэt, -lit; often äm´lэt, -lit) •n. eggs beaten up, often with milk or water, cooked as a pancake in a frying pan, and served usually folded over and often with a filling, as of jelly, cheese, mushrooms, etc. [Fr omelette, earlier amelette, by metathesis < alemette < alemelle < L lamella, small plate: see LAMELLA]

omen (ou´mэn) •n. a thing or happening supposed to foretell a future event, either good or evil; augury •vt. to be an omen of; augur [L < OL osmen]

omentum (ou men´tэm) pl. -ta (-tэ) •n.or -tums a free fold of the peritoneum connecting the stomach and certain other visceral organs: the great omentum covers the stomach and intestines like an apron over their anterior surfaces, while the lesser omentum forms a partial covering of the stomach and common bile duct o·men´tal •adj. [L: *o- (< IE base *eu-, to put on > L exuere, to strip off: see EXUVIAE) + -mentum, -MENT]

omer (ou´mэr) •n. 1 an ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure equal to one tenth of an ephah 2 [usually O-] Judaism the period of 49 days from the second day of Passover through the day before Shavuot [Heb ōmer]

omertà (ô meř tä´) •n. in Sicily, a policy or code of keeping silent about crimes and refusing to cooperate with the police [dial. for It umiltà, lit., humility (< L humilitas), hence submission, acquiescence to group code]

omicron or omikron (äm´i krän', ou´mi-) name of the fifteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ο, ο) •n. [Gr o mikron, lit., small o: see MICRON, OMEGA]

ominous (äm´э nэs) •adj. of or serving as an omen; esp., having the character of an evil omen; threatening; sinister om´i·nous·ly •adv. om´i·nous·ness •n. SYN.—ominous implies a threatening character but does not necessarily connote a disastrous outcome [the request was met by an ominous silence]; portentous literally implies a foreshadowing, especially of evil, but is now more often used of that which arouses awe or amazement because of its prodigious or marvelous character [a portentous event]; fateful may imply a fatal character or control by fate, but is now usually applied to that which is of momentous or decisive significance [a fateful truce conference]; foreboding implies a portent or presentiment of something evil or harmful [a foreboding anxiety] [L ominosus]

omissible (ou mis´э bэl) •adj. that can be omitted

omission (ou mish´эn) •n. 1 an omitting or being omitted; specif., failure to do as one should 2 anything omitted [ME omissioun< LL omissio]

omissive (ou mis´iv) •adj. failing to do or include; omitting o·mis´sive·ly •adv. [< L omissus, pp. of omittere + -IVE]

omit (ou mit´) o·mit´ted, o·mit´ting •vt. 1 to fail to include; leave out 2 to fail to do; neglect 3 [Obs.] a) to take no notice of b) to let go SYN. NEGLECT o·mit´ter •n. [ME omitten < L omittere < ob- (see OB-) + mittere, to send: see MISSION]

ommatidium (äm'э tid´i: эm) pl. -i·a •n. any of the structural elements forming the compound eye of an insect, many crustaceans, etc.: each element is a complete photoreceptor in itself, having a lens, pigment, light-sensitive cells, etc. om'ma·tid´i·al •adj. [ModL, dim. < Gr omma (gen. ommatos), the eye, akin to ōps, EYE]

ommatophore (э mæt´э för') •n. EYESTALK [< Gr ommatos (see OMMATIDIUM) + -PHORE]

Ommiad (ou mai´æd') pl. -ads' or -a·des' (-э di:z') •n. OMAYYAD

omni- (äm´ni, -ni:, -nэ) combining form all, everywhere {omnidirectional} [L < omnis, all]

omnibus (äm´ni bэs, -ni:-; -bûs') pl. -bus'es •n. 1 BUS (sense 1)) 2 a large volume containing a collection of previously published works, as by a single author or on one theme •adj. including many things or having a variety of purposes or uses [Fr < (voiture) omnibus, lit., (carriage) for all < L, dat. pl. of omnis, all]

omnidirectional (äm'ni dэ rek´shэ nэl) •adj. for sending or receiving radio or sound waves in or from any direction [OMNI- + DIRECTIONAL]

omnifarious (äm'ni fer´i: эs) •adj. of all kinds, varieties, or forms [L omnifarius, of all sorts < omnis, all + -farius: see BIFARIOUS]

omnific (äm nif´ik) •adj. creating all things: also om·nif´i·cent (-э sªnt) [ML omnificus < L omnis, all + facere, to make, DO¹]

omnipotence (äm nip´э tэns) •n. 1 the state or quality of being omnipotent 2 an omnipotent force [O-] God [MFr < LL omnipotentia]

omnipotent (äm nip´э tэnt) •adj. having unlimited power or authority; all-powerful the Omnipotent God om·nip´o·tent·ly •adv. [OFr < L omnipotens < omnis, all + potens: see POTENT]

omnipresent (äm'ni prez´эnt) •adj. present in all places at the same time om'ni·pres´ence •n. [ML omnipraesens < L omnis, all + praesens, PRESENT]

omnirange (äm´ni reinj') •n. a system of navigation by means of a radio transmitter on the ground that sends signals in all directions, from which an airplane pilot can receive his bearing [< omni(directional radio) range]

omniscience (äm nish´эns; Brit & Cdn, -nis´i: эns) •n. the state or quality of being omniscient [ME < ML omniscientia]

omniscient (äm nish´эnt; Brit & Cdn, -nis´i: эnt) •adj. having infinite knowledge; knowing all things the Omniscient God om·nis´cient·ly •adv. [ML omnisciens < L omnis, all + sciens, knowing: see SCIENCE]

omnium-gatherum (äm´ni: эm gæð´эr эm) •n. a miscellaneous collection of persons or things [pseudo-L < L omnium, gen. pl. of omnis, all + GATHER + 'em for THEM]

omnivore (äm´ni vör') •n. an omnivorous person or animal [< ModL omnivora (pl.), old designation for the group containing the pig < L, neut. pl. of omnivorus: see OMNIVOROUS]

omnivorous (äm niv´э rэs) •adj. 1 eating any sort of food, esp. both animal and vegetable food 2 taking in everything indiscriminately, as with the intellect {an omnivorous reader} om·niv´o·rous·ly •adv. om·niv´o·rous·ness •n. [L omnivorus: see OMNI- & -VOROUS]

omophagia (ou'mou fei´ji: э, -fei´jэ) •n. the eating of raw flesh o·moph·a·gist (ou mäf´э jist) •n. o´moph´a·gous (-gэs) or o'mo·phag´ic (-fæj´ik) •adj. [Gr ōmophagia < ōmos, raw (< IE base *om-, raw, bitter > L amarus, bitter) + phagein, to eat: see -PHAGOUS]

Omphale (äm´fэ li:') Gr. Myth. a queen of Lydia in whose service Hercules, dressed as a woman, does womanly tasks for three years to appease the gods

omphalo- (äm´fэ lou, -lэ) combining form navel, umbilicus {omphaloskepsis} [< Gr omphalos, NAVEL]

omphalos (äm´fэ lэs; also, -läs') •n. 1 NAVEL 2 a central point 3 a rounded stone in Apollo's temple at Delphi, regarded as the center of the world by the ancients [see OMPHALO-]

Omsk (ômsk) city in S Asian Russia on the Irtysh river: pop. 1,108,000

ON 1 Old Norse 2 Ontario On (än) Biblical name of HELIOPOLIS on (än, ön) •prep. 1 in a position above, but in contact with and supported by; upon 2 in contact with (any surface); covering or attached to 3 so as to be supported by {to lean on one's elbow} 4 in the surface of {a scar on the body} 5 a) near to; by {a cottage on the lake, seated on my right} b) having as its location {a house on Main Street} 6 at or during the time of {on entering, on the first day} 7 with (something specified) as the ground or basis {based on her diary, on purpose} 8 connected with, as a part {on the faculty} 9 engaged in {on a trip} 10 in a condition or state {on parole} 11 as a result of {a profit on the sale} 12 in the direction or vicinity of {light shone on us} 13 so as to affect {to put a curse on someone} 14 through the use or medium of {to live on bread, to act on TV} 15 with regard to; concerning {an essay on war} 16 coming after: used to indicate repetition {to suffer insult on insult} Æ 17 [Colloq.] chargeable to; at the expense of {a drink on the house} 18 [Slang] habitually using; addicted to {to be on drugs} 19 [Slang] carried by {to have no money on one} 20 [Dial.] used variously for OF, AT¹, ABOUT, FOR, IN 21 Jazz playing {Jim is on guitar, Sue on drums} •adv. 1 in or into a situation or position of contacting, being supported by, or covering {put your shoes on} 2 in a direction or toward {he looked on} 3 in advance; forward; ahead {move on} 4 lastingly; continuously {she sang on} 5 into operation, performance, or action {switch on the light} 6 Baseball on base 7 Theater on stage •adj. 1 in action, operation, or occurrence {the TV is on} 2 near or nearer 3 arranged or planned for {tomorrow's game is still on} 4 [Slang] performing or functioning at a high level of competence {he was really on in last night's game} 5 Cricket designating that side of the field, or of the wicket, where the batsman stands •n. 1 the fact or state of being on 2 Cricket the on side and so on and more like the preceding; and so forth Æ have something (or nothing) on someone [Colloq.] to have some (or no) unfavorable evidence against someone on and off not continuously; intermittently on and on continuously; at great length Æ on to [Slang] aware of or familiar with, esp. aware of the real nature or meaning of [ME < OE on, an, akin to Ger an, Goth ana, ON ā < IE base *an, *anō, prob. meaning obliquely toward, slanting toward > Gr ana]

-on (än) suffix forming nouns 1 an inert gas {radon} [< -on in argon] 2 a subatomic particle {neutron} [< -on in ion] 3 a) a functional unit {operon} b) a unit of measure {photon} [< -ONE]

onager (än´э jэr) pl. -gri' (-grai') or -gers •n. 1 a wild ass (Equus hemionus onager) of central Asia 2 a catapult for throwing stones, used in ancient and medieval warfare [ME < L < Gr onagros, wild ass < onos, ass + agrios, wild < agros, country, field: see ACRE]

onanism (ou´nэ niz'эm) •n. 1 COITUS INTERRUPTUS 2 MASTURBATION o´nan·ist •n. o'nan·is´tic •adj. [after Onan, son of Judah (see Gen. 38:9) + -ISM]

once (wûns) •adv. 1 one time; one time only {to eat once a day} 2 at any time; at all; ever {she'll succeed if once given a chance} 3 at some time in the past; formerly {a once famous man} 4 by one degree or grade {a cousin once removed} conj. as soon as; if ever; whenever {once he is tired, he will quit} •adj. former; quondam •n. one time {go this once} all at once 1 all at the same time 2 suddenly at once 1 immediately 2 at the same time for once for at least one time once and again occasionally once (and) for all finally; decisively; conclusively once in a while now and then; occasionally once or twice not often; a few times once upon a time in the past, esp. a long time ago [ME ones, gen. of on, ONE]

once-over (wûns´ou'vэr) •n. [Colloq.] 1 a quick, comprehensive look or examination; swiftly appraising glance 2 a quick, cursory or light cleaning or going-over

onchocerciasis (äŋ'kou sэr'kai´э sis) •n. a fly-transmitted tropical disease in which parasitic filarial worms (genus Onchocerca) cause tumors, skin lesions, and blindness; river blindness

oncidium (än sid´i: эm) •n. any of a genus (Oncidium) of tropical American orchids [ModL < Gr onkos, barbed hook (for IE base see ANKLE) + ModL -idium (< Gr -idion, dim. suffix): from form of the labellum]

onco- (äŋ´kou, -kэ) combining form 1 bulk, mass 2 tumor {oncogene}

oncogene (äŋ´kэ ji:n') •n. any of various genes that, when activated as by radiation or a virus, may cause a normal cell to become cancerous on'co·gen´ic (-jen´ik) •adj. [< Gr onkos, mass + GENE]

oncology (än käl´э ji:, äŋ-) •n. the branch of medicine dealing with neoplasms on'co·log´ic (-kou läj´ik) •adj. on·col´o·gist •n. [< Gr onkos, a mass (< IE *onk- < base *ene-, to attain, bear > ENOUGH) + -LOGY]

oncoming (än´kûm'iŋ) •adj. 1 coming nearer in position or time; approaching 2 coming forth; emerging •n. an approach

one (wûn) •adj. 1 being a single thing or unit; not two or more 2 characterized by unity; forming a whole; united; undivided {with one accord} 3 designating a person or thing as contrasted with or opposed to another or others {from one day to another} 4 being uniquely or strikingly the person or thing specified {the one solution to the problem} 5 single in kind; the same {all of one mind} 6 designating a single, but not clearly specified, person or thing; a certain [one day last week]: also used as an intensive substitute for the indefinite article [she's one beautiful girl] •n. 1 the number expressing unity or designating a single unit: the lowest cardinal number and the first used in counting a series; 1; I 2 a single person or thing 3 something numbered one or marked with one pip, as the face of a die or domino Æ 4 [Colloq.] a one-dollar bill pron. 1 some, or a certain, person or thing {one of us must go} 2 any person or thing; anybody or anything: sometimes used affectedly in place of the first personal or second personal pronoun {what else could one do?} 3 the person or thing previously mentioned {they rent a house, but I own one} all one making no difference; of no importance at one of the same opinion; in accord one and all everybody one another each one the other; each other: see EACH OTHER (at EACH) one by one individually in succession one of those things something that cannot be avoided, helped, changed, etc. [ME < OE an, akin to Ger ein, Goth ains < IE *oinos (> Gr oinē, L unus, OIr ōen) < *e-, *ei-, prefixed pronominal stem meaning the, this, this one]

-one (oun) Chem. suffix 1 ketone {acetone} 2 any of certain related compounds containing oxygen {lactone} [arbitrary use of Gr -ōnē, used to signify a female descendant of]

one-armed bandit (wûn´ärmd´) [Slang] SLOT MACHINE (sense b)

one-base hit (wûn´beis´) Baseball SINGLE (n. 2): also [Slang] one´-bag´ger (-bæg´эr)

Onega (ou ni:´gэ; Russ ô nye´gä), Lake lake in NW European Russia: c. 3,800 sq. mi. (9,842 sq. km)

Onega Bay S arm of the White Sea, extending into NW European Russia: c. 100 mi. (160 km) long

one-horse (wûn´hörs´) •adj. 1 drawn by or using a single horse Æ 2 [Colloq.] having little importance; limited in resources, scope, etc.; petty; inferior

Oneida (ou nai´dэ) •n. 1 pl. -das or -da a member of a tribe of Indians originally living near Oneida Lake and now also in Wisconsin and Ontario 2 their Iroquoian language [< Iroquois Oneiute, lit., standing rock]

Oneida Lake lake near Syracuse, N.Y.: part of the New York State Barge Canal system: c. 80 sq. mi. (208 sq. km) [after prec.]

O'Neill (ou ni:l´), Eugene (Gladstone) 1888-1953; U.S. playwright

oneiric (ou nai´rik) •adj. of or having to do with dreams [< Gr oneiros, a dream + -IC]

oneiromancy (ou nai´rou mæn'si:) •n. the practice of foretelling the future by the interpretation of dreams [< Gr oneiros, a dream + -MANCY]

one-liner (wûn´lain´эr) •n. a short, witty remark

oneness (wûn´nis) •n. 1 singleness; unity 2 unity of mind, feeling, or purpose 3 sameness; identity

one-night stand (wûn´nait´) 1 a single appearance in one town by a traveling show, lecturer, etc. 2 a brief, casual sexual encounter Also one-nighter

one-off (wûn´äf´) •adj. [Brit.] happening, made, done, etc. only once; not repeated •n. [Brit.] something that is one of a kind, not part of a series, etc.

one-on-one (wûn´än wûn´) •adj., adv. 1 Basketball, Football, etc. contending individually against a single opposing player 2 in direct, personal confrontation •n. a game, sport, etc. in which one individual competes against another individual

onerous (än´эr эs, oun´-) •adj. 1 burdensome; laborious 2 Law involving a legal obligation that equals or exceeds the benefits {onerous lease} on´er·ous·ly •adv. on´er·ous·ness •n. SYN.—onerous applies to that which is laborious or troublesome, often because of its annoying or tedious character [the onerous task of taking inventory]; burdensome applies to that which is wearisome or oppressive to the mind or spirit as well as to the body [burdensome responsibilities]; oppressive stresses the overbearing cruelty of the person or thing that inflicts hardship, or emphasizes the severity of the hardship itself [oppressive weather, an oppressive king]; exacting suggests the making of great demands on the attention, skill, care, etc. [an exacting supervisor, exacting work] [ME < MFr onereus < L onerosus < onus, a load: see ONUS]

oneself (wûn'self´, wûnz'-) pron. a person's own self; himself or herself: also one's self be oneself 1 to function physically and mentally as one normally does 2 to be natural or sincere by oneself alone; unaccompanied; withdrawn come to oneself 1 to recover one's senses 2 to recover one's capacity for sound judgment

one-shot (wûn´shät') •adj. [Slang] 1 happening, appearing, etc. only once 2 being the only one; not part of a series

one-sided (wûn´said´id) •adj. 1 on, having, or involving only one side 2 larger or more developed on one side; leaning to one side 3 favoring one side; uneven or unfair; prejudiced 4 uneven or unequal {a one-sided race}

one-step (wûn´step') •n. 1 an early 20th-cent. ballroom dance characterized by quick walking steps in 2/4 time 2 music for this dance •vi. -stepped', -step'ping to dance the one-step

onetime (-taim') •adj. at some past time; former

one-to-one (wûn'tэ wûn´) •adj. 1 permitting the pairing of an element of one group with a corresponding element of another group 2 Math. designating a correspondence such that each member of a set has just one partner in another set, and no element in either is without a partner

one-track (wûn´træk') •adj. 1 having a single track Æ 2 [Colloq.] able or willing to deal with only one thing at a time; limited in scope {a one-track mind}

one-two (punch) (wûn´tu:´-) 1 Boxing a sequence of two quick punches, esp. a jab with the left hand followed at once by a hard blow with the right 2 any sequence of two related actions for a specific result

one-up (wûn´ûp´, wûn'-) •adj. [Colloq.] having an advantage (over another): often in the phrase be one-up on •vt. -upped´, -up´ping [Colloq.] to have or seize an advantage over

one-upmanship (wûn ûp´mэn ship') •n. [Colloq.] the practice of, or skill in, seizing an advantage or gaining superiority over others [prec. + (GAMES)MANSHIP]

one-way (wûn´wei´) •adj. 1 moving, or providing for movement, in one direction only {a one-way street, a one-way ticket} 2 without any reciprocal action or obligation {a one-way contract}

on-glide (än´glaid') •n. a glide coming before a speech sound, in which the vocal organs take the position for forming that sound, either from their normal inactive position or from their position in articulating a preceding sound: cf. OFF-GLIDE

ongoing (än´gou'iŋ) •adj. that is going on, or actually in process; continuing, progressing, etc.

onion (ûn´yэn) •n. 1 a plant (Allium cepa) of the lily family, having an edible bulb with a strong, sharp smell and taste 2 the bulb of this plant, formed of close, concentric layers of leaf bases 3 any of various related plants [ME oynon < OFr oignon < L unio (gen. unionis), oneness, unity, also a kind of single onion: see UNION]

onionskin (ûn´yэn skin') •n. 1 the thin, translucent outer coating of an onion Æ 2 a tough, thin, translucent, glossy paper, often used for carbon copies

-onium (ou´ni: эm) Chem. suffix forming nouns 1 any of a group of compounds that are isologues of ammonium {sulfonium} 2 a cation {hydronium} [< (AMM)ONIUM]

on-line (än´lain´) •adj. designating or of equipment directly connected to and controlled by the central processing unit of a computer

onlooker (än´luk'эr) •n. a person who watches without taking part; spectator on´look'ing •adj., n.

only (oun´li:) •adj. 1 alone of its or their kind; by itself or by themselves; sole 2 alone in its or their superiority; best; finest •adv. 1 a) and no other; and no (or nothing) more; solely; exclusively {drink water only} b) merely; simply 2 (but) in what follows or in the end {to meet one crisis, only to face another} 3 as recently as {elected only last fall} conj. [Colloq.] were it not that; except that; but {I'd have gone, only it rained} if only would that; I wish that {if only they would leave, if they would only try harder} only too very; exceedingly [ME < OE anlic < an, ONE + -lic, -LY¹]

onomastic (än'ou mæs´tik, än'э-) •adj. of or having to do with a name or names [Gr onomastikos < onomazein, to name < onoma, NAME]

onomastics (-tiks) •n.pl. [with sing. v.] 1 the study of the origin, form, meaning, and use of names, esp. proper names 2 a pattern or system serving as a basis for the formation and use of names and terms within a field or category

onomatopoeia (än'ou mæt'ou pi:´э, -mät'-) •n. 1 formation of a word by imitating the natural sound associated with the object or action involved; echoism (Ex.: tinkle, buzz, chickadee, etc.) 2 the use of words whose sounds reinforce their meaning or tone, as in poetry on'o·mat'o·poe´ic or on'o·mat'o·po·et´ic (-pou et´ik) •adj. on'o·mat'o·poe´i·cal·ly or on'o·mat'o·po·et´i·cal·ly •adv. [LL < Gr onomatopoiia < onoma (gen. onomatos), NAME + poiein, to make: see POET]

Onondaga (än'эn dö´gэ, -dä´-) •n. 1 pl. -gas or -ga a member of a tribe of Indians who formerly lived near Onondaga Lake and now live in Ontario as well as New York 2 their Iroquoian language On'on·da´gan •adj. [< AmInd (Iroquois) Ononta'ge, lit., on top of the hill (name of the chief Onondaga village)]

Onondaga Lake salt lake northwest of Syracuse, N.Y.: c. 5 sq. mi. (13 sq. km) [see ONONDAGA]

onrush (än´rûsh') •n. a headlong dash forward; strong onward rush on´rush'ing •adj.

Onsager (ön´säg'эr), Lars 1903-76; U.S. chemist, born in Norway

on-screen (än´skri:n´) •adj., adv. 1 in a film, TV show, etc. 2 in a film FRAME (n. 13b) or on a TV or computer screen Also, esp. for sense 1, on´screen´

onset (än´set') •n. 1 an attack; assault 2 a beginning; start

onshore (än´shör') •adj. 1 moving onto or toward the shore {an onshore breeze} 2 situated or operating on land {an onshore patrol} •adv. toward the shore; landward

onside (än´said´) •adv. Sports in the proper position for play; not offside •adj. 1 not offside Æ 2 Football designating a kickoff that is deliberately kicked short in the hope that the receiver will fumble

on-site (än´sait´) •adj. on or at the specific or actual site or location {an on-site inspection}

onslaught (än´slöt') •n. a violent, intense attack [altered (infl. by SLAUGHTER) < Du annslag < slagen, to strike: see SLAY]

onstage (än´steij´, ön´-; -steij') •adj., adv. on a stage, before an audience

Ont Ontario

Ontario (än ter´i: ou) 1 province of SC Canada, between the Great Lakes & Hudson Bay: 412,582 sq. mi. (1,068,000 sq. km); pop. 9,102,000: cap. Toronto: abbrev. ON or Ont [after Lake Ontario] 2 city in S Calif.: pop. 133,000 [after the Cdn province] 3 Lake smallest & easternmost of the Great Lakes, between N.Y. & Ontario, Canada: 7,540 sq. mi. (19,529 sq. km) [< Fr < Iroquoian, lit., fine lake] On·tar´i·an •adj., n.

ontic (än´tik) •adj. having the status of real and ultimate existence on´ti·cal·ly •adv. [ONT(O)- + -IC]

onto (än´tu:, -tu:'; rapidly, -tэ) •prep. 1 to and upon; to a position on Æ 2 [Slang] aware of the real nature or meaning of {they're onto our schemes} Also on to

onto- (än´tou, -tэ) combining form 1 being, existence {ontology} 2 organism {ontogeny} : also, before a vowel, ont- [< Gr ōn (gen. ontos), prp. of einai, to be < IE base *es- > IS]

ontogeny (än täj´э ni:) •n. the life cycle of a single organism; biological development of the individual: distinguished from PHYLOGENY: also on·to·gen·e·sis (än'tou jen´э sis) on'to·ge·net´ic (-jэ net´ik) or on'to·gen´ic •adj. [prec. + -GENY]

ontological argument Metaphysics an a priori argument for the existence of God, asserting that the conception of a perfect being implies that being's existence outside the human mind

ontology (än täl´э ji:) •n. 1 the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being, reality, or ultimate substance: cf. PHENOMENOLOGY 2 pl. -gies a particular theory about being or reality on·to·log·i·cal (än'tou läj´i kэl) •adj. on'to·log´i·cal·ly •adv. on·tol´o·gist •n. [ModL ontologia: see ONTO- & -LOGY]

onus (ou´nэs) •n. 1 a difficult or unpleasant task, duty, etc.; burden 2 responsibility for a wrong; blame 3 BURDEN OF PROOF [clip of L onus probandi, burden of proving] [L, a load, burden < IE base *enos- or *onos- > Sans ánah, freight cart]

onward (än´wэrd) •adv. toward or at a position or point ahead in space or time; forward Also on´wards •adj. moving or directed onward or ahead; advancing {an onward trend} [ME: see ON & -WARD]

-onym combining form name or word {acronym}

onyx (än´iks) •n. 1 a variety of agate with alternate colored layers, used as a semiprecious stone, esp. in making cameos 2 a translucent, finely crystalline calcite, often banded, found in stalagmites: also onyx marble [ME onix < OFr < L onyx < Gr, the NAIL: its color resembles that of the fingernail]

oo- (ou´ou, ou´э) combining form egg or ovum {oogenesis} [< Gr ōion, EGG¹]

oocyte (ou´ou sait', ou´э-) •n. Embryology an egg that has not yet undergone maturation [prec. + -CYTE]

OOD 1 Officer of the Day 2 Officer of the Deck

oodles (u:d´ªlz) •n.pl. [Colloq.] a great amount; very many [< ?]

oogamous (ou äg´э mэs) •adj. characterized by the uniting of a large, nonmotile egg and a small, active sperm for reproduction o·og´a·my (-mi:) •n. [OO- + -GAMOUS]

oogenesis (ou'ou jen´э sis, ou'э-) •n. Biol. the process by which the ovum is formed in preparation for its development o'o·ge·net´ic (-jэ net´ik) •adj. [OO- + -GENESIS]

oogonium (-gou´ni: эm) pl. -ni·a (-э) or -ums •n. 1 the female reproductive organ in certain algae and fungi, consisting of a large cell in which the eggs (oospheres) are developed 2 Embryology any of the cells from which the oocytes derive [ModL < OO- + -GONIUM]

ooh (u:) •interj. an exclamation of surprise, enthusiasm, delight, displeasure, etc. •vi. to make such an exclamation {they oohed and aahed about the baby}

oolite (ou´ou lait', ou´э-) •n. 1 a tiny, spherical or ellipsoid particle with concentric layers, usually of calcium carbonate, formed in wave-agitated sea waters 2 a rock composed chiefly of oolites Also o´o·lith (-liθ) o'o·lit´ic (-lit´ik) •adj. [Fr oölithe: see OO- & -LITE]

oology (ou äl´э ji:) •n. that branch of zoology concerned with the study of eggs, esp. birds' eggs o·o·log·i·cal (ou'ou läj´i kэl, ou'э-) •adj. o·ol´o·gist •n. [OO- + -LOGY]

oolong (u:´löŋ') •n. a dark tea from China and Taiwan that is partly fermented before being dried [Chin dial. form of wulung, lit., black dragon]

oomiac or oomiak (u:´mi: æk') •n. UMIAK

oompah or oom-pah (u:m´pä') •n. the sound of a repeated, rhythmic bass figure played as by a tuba in a marching band Also oom´-pah'-pah' [echoic]

oomph (umf) •n. [Slang] 1 sex appeal 2 vigor; energy [echoic of involuntary expression of approval]

oophorectomy (ou'ou fэ rek´tэ mi:, ou'э-) pl. -mies •n. the surgical removal of one or both ovaries [OOPHOR(O)- + -ECTOMY]

oophoritis (-rait´is) •n. inflammation of an ovary or the ovaries [ModL: see OOPHORO- + -ITIS]

oophoro- (ou´ou fэ rou', ou´э-) combining form ovary or ovaries {oophoritis} Also, before a vowel, oophor- [< ModL oöphoron, ovary < Gr ōion, EGG¹ + -phoros, bearing < pherein, to BEAR¹]

oophyte (ou´ou fait', ou´э-) •n. in plants undergoing alternation of generations, as ferns or mosses, that generation in which the reproductive organs are developed [OO- + -PHYTE]

oops (ups, u:ps) •interj. WHOOPS

oosperm (ou´ou spørm', ou´э-) •n. obs. var. of ZYGOTE [OO- + -SPERM]

oosphere (-sfir') •n. Bot. any of the large, spherical, nonmotile, unfertilized eggs that develop in an oogonium [OO- + -SPHERE]

oospore (-spör') •n. Bot. a thick-walled, resting spore produced by the fertilization of an oosphere [OO- + SPORE]

Oostende (ous ten´dэ) Fl. name of OSTEND

ootheca (ou'ou θi:´kэ, ou'э-) pl. -cae (-si:) •n. an egg case, as of certain mollusks and insects o'o·the´cal •adj. [ModL < OO- + Gr thēkē: see THECA]

ootid (ou´ou tid, ou´э-) •n. a large, haploid cell produced at the second meiotic division, that quickly becomes an egg cell [OO- + -t- + -ID]

ooze leather leather of calfskin, sheepskin, or goatskin with a velvety or suede finish on the flesh side

ooze¹ (u:z) •n. 1 an infusion of oak bark, sumac, etc., used in tanning leather 2 [< the v.] a) an oozing; gentle flow b) something that oozesvi. oozed, ooz´ing 1 to flow or leak out slowly, as through very small holes; seep 2 to give forth moisture, as through pores 3 to escape or disappear gradually {hope oozed away} •vt. 1 to give forth, or exude (a fluid) 2 to seem to radiate {to ooze confidence} [ME wose < OE wos, sap, juice, akin to MLowG wose, scum < IE base *wes-, wet: meaning infl. by OE wase, mire: see OOZE2]

ooze² (u:z) •n. 1 soft mud or slime; esp., the deep layers of sediment at the bottom of a lake, ocean, etc. 2 an area of muddy ground; bog [ME wose < OE wase, < IE base *weis-, to flow away > L virus]

oozy¹ (u:´zi:) -zi·er, -zi·est •adj. oozing; giving forth moisture oo´zi·ly •adv. oo´zi·ness •n.

oozy² (u:´zi:) -zi·er, -zi·est •adj. full of or like ooze; slimy oo´zi·ly •adv. oo´zi·ness •n.

OP 1 observation post 2 Order of Preachers (Dominicans) 3 out of print op 1 opera 2 operation 3 opposite 4 opus 5 out of print

op- (äp, эp) prefix OB-: used before p {oppress}

op (art) (äp) a style of abstract painting utilizing geometric patterns or figures to create various optical effects, such as the illusion of movement [< OP(TICAL)]

op. cit. in the work cited [L opere citato]

opacity (ou pæs´э ti:) •n. 1 the state, quality, or degree of being opaque 2 pl. -ties something opaque, as a spot on the cornea or lens of an eye [Fr opacité < L opacitas < opacus, shady]

opah (ou´pэ) •n. a very large, brightly colored, silvery, marine bony fish (Lampris guttatus, order Lampriformes) [WAfr (Ibo) úbà]

opal (ou´pэl) •n. a hydrated amorphous silica, SiO2·nH2O, of various colors, capable of refracting light and then reflecting it in a play of colors: the translucent milky or colored varieties, as the fire opal, are semiprecious stones [L opalus < Gr opallios < Sans úpalah, (precious) stone]

opalescent (ou'pэl es´эnt) •adj. showing a play of colors like that of the opal; iridescent o'pal·esce´, -esced´, -esc´ing, •vi. o'pal·es´cence •n. [prec. + -ESCENT]

opaline (ou´pэl i:n', -ain', -in) •adj. of or like opal •n. a translucent, milky variety of glass [OPAL + -INE¹]

opaque (ou peik´) •adj. 1 not letting light pass through; not transparent or translucent 2 not reflecting light; not shining or lustrous; dull or dark 3 not allowing electricity, heat, etc. to pass through 4 hard to understand; obscure 5 slow in understanding; obtuse •n. 1 anything opaque 2 Photog. an opaque liquid used in blocking out parts of a negative •vt. o·paqued´, o·paqu´ing 1 to make opaque 2 Photog. to apply opaque to (a negative) o·paque´ly •adv. o·paque´ness •n. [ME opake < L opacus, shady]

opaque projector a projector for throwing images on a screen by reflecting light from opaque objects

ope (oup) oped, op´ing •adj., vt., vi. old poet. var. of OPEN [ME < open(en)]

OPEC (ou´pek') •n. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

Op-Ed (äp´ed') •adj. [sometimes op-ed] designating, or appearing on, a page in a newspaper, usually the one opposite the editorial page, that features columns, freelance articles, letters, etc. expressing varied opinions and observations [Op(posite) Ed(itorial page)]

open (ou´pэn) •adj. 1 a) in a state which permits access, entrance, or exit; not closed, covered, clogged, or shut {open doors} b) closed, but unlocked {the car is open} 2 a) in a state which permits freedom of view or passage; not enclosed, fenced in, sheltered, screened, etc.; unobstructed; clear {open fields} b) having few or no trees, houses, etc. {open country} 3 unsealed; unwrapped 4 a) not covered over; without covering, top, etc. b) vulnerable to attack, etc.; unprotected or undefended (see also OPEN CITY) 5 spread out; unfolded; unclosed; expanded {an open book} 6 having spaces between; having gaps, holes, interstices, etc. {open ranks} 7 free from ice {the lake is open} 8 having relatively little snow or frost; mild {an open winter} 9 a) that may be entered, used, competed in, shared, visited, etc. by all {an open meeting} b) ready to admit customers, clients, etc. 10 free to be argued or contested; not settled or decided {an open question} 11 a) free from prejudice or bigotry; not closed to new ideas, etc. {an open mind} b) liberal; generous 12 Æ a) free from legal restrictions {an open season on deer} Æ b) free from discriminatory restrictions based on race, religion, etc. {open housing} Æ c) free from effective regulation with respect to drinking, gambling, etc. {the city is wide open} d) not regulated, organized, or conducted along traditional or conventional lines {open marriage, open education} 13 characterized by social mobility, political freedom, diversity of opinion, etc. {an open society} 14 in force or operation {an open account} 15 a) not already taken, occupied, or engaged {the job is still open} b) free to be accepted or rejected 16 not closed against access; accessible; available 17 not hidden or secret; generally known; public {an open quarrel} 18 frank; candid; direct; honest {an open manner} 19 Math. of a set of points that is the complement of a closed set of points, as the set of all points outside a circle 20 Music a) not stopped by the finger (said of a string) b) not closed at the top (said of an organ pipe) c) produced by an open string or pipe, or, in wind instruments, brasses, etc., without a slide or key (said of a tone) d) not muted 21 Phonet. a) articulated with the tongue as low as possible in the mouth; low (said of certain vowels) b) articulated with the tongue in the lower of two possible positions {the open e and close e in Italian} c) articulated with the organs of speech not in close contact; fricative (said of certain consonants) d) ending in a vowel or diphthong (said of a syllable) 22 Printing a) designating or of a style of type the letters of which are cast in outline so that the inside of letters shows white b) with wide spacing between words or lines of type; not solid 23 Sports designating a stance, as of a golfer or batter in baseball, in which the front foot is farther than the rear foot from an imaginary straight line, as one joining tee and green or one joining home plate and second base •vt. 1 to make or cause to be open; specif., a) to unclose; unfasten {open the door} b) to remove obstructions from {to open a drain} 2 a) to make an opening or openings in {to open an abscess} b) to make or produce (a hole, way, etc.) 3 to make spaces between; spread out; expand {to open ranks} 4 to unclose, unfold, or unroll {to open a book} 5 to make accessible or subject (to an influence or action); expose 6 to make available for use, competition, or participation, without restriction, taxation, fee, etc. 7 to free from prejudice and bigotry; make liberal and generous {to open one's mind} 8 to make known, public, etc.; reveal; disclose 9 to begin; enter upon; start; commence {to open the bidding, a session, etc.} 10 to cause to start operating, going, etc. {to open a new shop} 11 to undo, recall, or set aside (a judgment, settlement, etc.), so as to leave the matter open to further action •vi. 1 to become open 2 to spread out; expand; unroll; unfold 3 to become free from prejudice, etc.; become liberal and generous 4 to become revealed, disclosed, etc.; come into view 5 to be or act as an opening; give access: with to, into, on, etc. 6 to begin; start 7 to start operating, going, bidding, etc.; specif., in the stock exchange, to show an indicated price level at the beginning of the day {steel opened high} 8 to begin a series of performances, games, etc. •n. [usually O-] any of various golf tournaments open to both professionals and amateurs SYN. FRANK¹ open out 1 to make or become extended or larger 2 to develop 3 to disclose to view; reveal open to 1 glad or willing to receive, discuss, etc. 2 liable to; subject to 3 available or accessible to or for open up 1 to make or become open 2 to spread out; unfold 3 to start; begin 4 [Colloq.] to begin firing a gun or guns 5 [Colloq.] to speak freely or with great feeling 6 [Colloq.] to go or make go faster or as fast as possible the open 1 any open, unobstructed space on land or water 2 an unenclosed area; the outdoors 3 public knowledge Æ 4 [the O-] Golf an annual U.S. tournament open to both professionals and amateurs: in full National Open or U.S. Open o´pened •adj. o´pen·ly •adv. o´pen·ness •n. [ME < OE, akin to Ger offen < PGmc *upana: for IE base see UP¹]

open admissions the policy or practice of allowing students to enroll in a college or university without regard to their previous academic preparation

open air the outdoors o´pen-air´ •adj.

open chain any structural arrangement used in the models and formulas of molecules and consisting of a chain of atoms that does not form a closed geometric figure; specif., a straight or branched chain: see ALIPHATIC, CLOSED CHAIN

open circuit an electrical circuit that is broken and thus carries no current o´pen-cir´cuit •adj.

open city a city which is a military objective but is completely demilitarized and left open to enemy occupation in order to gain immunity, under international law, from bombardment and attack

open door 1 unrestricted admission or access 2 equal opportunity for all nations to trade with a given nation, without restrictive terms o´pen-door´ •adj.

open house 1 an informal reception at one's home, with visitors freely coming and going 2 an occasion when a school, institution, etc. is open to visitors for inspection and observation of activities

open letter a letter written as to a specific person, often in attack, criticism, etc., but published in a newspaper or magazine for everyone to read

open market FREE MARKET

open primary a primary election in which the voter need not declare party affiliation

open punctuation punctuation characterized by the use of relatively few commas or other marks: opposed to CLOSE PUNCTUATION

open sea 1 the expanse of sea away from any coastlines, bays, inlets, etc. 2 HIGH SEAS

open secret something supposed to be secret but known to almost everyone