OED "O"
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- obbligato
-
an instruemtnal part, typically distinctive in effect, that is integral to a piece of music and should not be omitted in performance
such a part played to accompany another instrumental or vocal part - obelisk
-
stone pillar
mountain, tree, or other natural object of similar shape
another term for "obelus" - obelus
-
the cross symbol used as a reference mark in printed matter, or to indicate that a person is deceased (also called "dagger")
a mark used in ancient texts to indicate a word or passage as spurious, corrupt, or doubtful - objectivism
- (philosophy) the belief that certain things, esp moral truths, exist independently of human knowledge or perception of them
- objet
- an object displayed or intended for display as an ornament
- objet d'art
- a small decorative or artistic object, typically when regarded as a collectible item
- objurgate
- rebuke severely; scold
- oblate
-
a person dedicated to monastic or religious life or work
(of a spheroid) flattened at the poles - oblation
-
a thing presented or offered to God or a god.
the presentation of bread and wine to God in the Eucharist - oblique
-
neither parallel nor at a right angle to a specified or implied line; slanting
not explicit or diret in addressing a point - obloquy
-
strong public criticism or verbal abuse
a disgrace, esp that brought about by public abuse - obsequies
- funeral rites
- obsequious
- obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
- obstetrics
- the branch of medicine and surgery concerned w/ childbirth and the care of women giving birth
- obstreperous
- noisy and difficult to control
- obverse
-
the side of a coin or medal bearing the head or principal design
the design or inscription of this side
the opposite or counter part of a fact or truth: "true solitude is the obverse of true society" - obvert
- (in logic) alter a proposition so as to infer another proposition w/ a contradictory predicate, e.g. "no men are immortal" to "all men are mortal"
- occlude
- stop, close up, or obstruct (an opening, orifice, or passage)
- occult
-
supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs
esoteric; communicated only to the initiated - ochlocracy
- government by a mob; mob rule
- oculist
- optometrist
- odeum
- (esp in ancient Greece or Rome) a building used for musical performances
- odious
- extremely unpleasant; hateful; repulsive
- odium
-
general or widespread hatred or disgust directed toward someone, often as a result of his or her actions
disgrace over something hated or shameful; opprobrium - odyssey
-
a Greek epic poem traditionally ascribed to Homer, describing the travels of Odysseus (Roman: Ulysses) during hs ten years of wandering after the fall of Troy. He eventually returned home to Ithaca and killed the suitors who had plagued his wife Penelope during his absence.
any long, adventerous journey
an extended process of development or change - oenophile
- a connoisseur of wines
- oeuvre
-
the works of a painter, composer, or author regarded collectively
a work of art, music, or literature - ofay
- an offensive term for a white person, used by black ppl
- offal
-
the entrails and internal organs of an animal used as food
refuse or waste material
decomposing animal flesh - ogee
- (in architecture) having a double continuous S-shaped curve
- ogive
-
a pointed or Gothic arch
one of the diagonal groins or ribs of a vault
a thing having the profile of an ogive, esp. the head of a projectile or the nose cone of a rocket - Old English
- the language of the Anglo-Saxons (up to about 1150), a highly inflected language w/ a largely Germanic vocabulary, very diff't from modern English; also called Anglo-Saxon
- oleaginous
-
rich in, covered w/, or producing oil; oily or greasy
exaggeratedly and distastefully complimentary; obsequious - oligarchy
- a small group of ppl having control of a country, organization, or institution
- oligopoly
- a state of limited competition, in which a market is shared by a small number of producers or sellers
- olio
-
a highly spiced stew of various meats and vegetables, of Spanish and Portuguese origin
a miscellaneous collection of things
a variety act or show - ombudsman
- an official appointed to investiage individuals' complaints against maladministration, esp that of public authorities
- omega
-
the twenty fourth, and last, letter of the Greek alphabet (looks like a horseshoe)
the last of a series; the final development - omnibus
-
a volume containing several novels or other items previously published separately
formerly, a bus - omnicompetent
- able to deal w/ all matters or solve all problems
- omphalos
-
the center or hub of something
a sounded stone (esp that at Delphi) representing the navel of the earth in ancient Greek mythology - onanism
-
masturbation
coitus interruptus - oncology
- the study and treatment of tumors
- oneiric
- of or relating to dreams or dreaming
- oneiromancy
- the interpretation of dreams in order to foretell the future
- onerous
-
involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome
(in law) involving excessively heavy obligations - onomasiology
- the branch of knowledge that deals w/ terminology, in particular contrasting terms w/ similar concepts
- ontic
- (in philosophy) of or relating to entities and the facts about them; relating to real as opposed to phenomenal existence
- ontogeny
- the branch of biology that deals w/ ontogenesis (the development of an individual organism or anatomical or behavioral feature from the earliest stage to maturity)
- ontology
- the branch of metaphysics dealing w/ the nature of being
- onus
- a burden; one's duty or responsibility
- op art
- a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of movement by the precise use of pattern and color, or in which conflicting patterns emerge and overlap
- operatic
- excessively theatrical; overly dramatic
- operose
- involving or displaying much industry or effort
- opine
- hold and state as one's opinion
- opprobrious
-
(of language) expressing opprobrium
disgraceful; shameful - opprobrium
-
a harsh criticism or censure
the public disgrace arising from someone's shameful conduct - optimism
-
(in philosophy) the doctrine, esp as set forth by G.W. Leibniz (1646-1716) that this world is the best of all possible worlds
the belief that good must ultimately prevail over evil in the universe - opulent
- wealthy; ostentatiously rich and luxurious or lavish
- opus
-
(in music) a separate composition or set of compositions by a particular composer, usually by date of publication
any artistic work, esp one on a grand scale - oratorio
- a large-scale musical work for orchestra and voices, typically a narrative on a religious theme, performed w/o the use of costumes, scenery or action.
- oratory
-
a small chapel, esp for private worship
exaggerated, eloquent, or highly colored language
the art or practice of formal speaking in public - orbicular
-
having the shape of a flat ring or disk
having a rounded convex or golbular shape - ordinal
- any of the positive whole numbers defining a thing's position in a series
- ordnance
-
mounted guns; artillery
military weapons, ammunition, and equipment used in connection w/ them
a branch of the armed forces dealing w/ the supply and storage of weapons, ammunition, and related equipment - ordonnance
- the systematic or orderly arrangement of parts, esp in art and architecture
- ordure
-
excrement; dung
something regarded as vile or abhorrent - oread
- (in Grk and Rom. mythology) a nymph believed to inhabit mountains
- organon
- an instrument of thought, esp a means of reasoning or a system of logic
- oriel
-
a projection from the wall of a building, typically supported from the ground or by corbels
"oriel window" = window in such a structure
a projecting window, often on an upper story; a bay window - orient
-
special luster of a pearl of the finest quality
(of the sun, daylight, etc.) rising
lustrous (of preious stones) - orienteering
- a competitive sport in which participants find their way to various checkpoints across rough country w/ the aid of a map and compass, the winner being the one w/ the lowest elapsed time
- orison
- a prayer
- orogeny
-
(geology) a process in which a section o the earth's crust is folded and deformed by lateral compression to form a mountain range
a period of mountain building - orography
- the branch of physical geography dealing w/ mountains
- orotund
-
(of the voice or phrasing) full, round, and imposing
(of writing, style, or expression) pompous; pretentious - Orphism
-
a mystic religion of ancient Greece, orig. 6/7th C BCE and based on the now lost poems of Orpheus, emphasizing the necessity for individuals to rid themselves of the evil part of their nature by ritual and moral purification throughout a series of reincarnations
a short-lived art movement (c. 1912) w/in cubism, pioneered by a group of Fr. painters (inc. Delaunay, Leger) and emphasizing the lyrical use of color rather than the austere intellectual cubism of Picasso, Braque, and Gris. - ort (orts)
-
a scrap or remainder of food from a meal
anything left over. - orthodontics
- treatment of irregularities in the teeth (esp of alignment and occlusion) and jaws, including the use of braces.
- orthopedics
- the branch of medicine dealing w/ the correction of deformities of bones or muscles.
- orthotics
-
the branch of medicine that deals w/ the provision and use of artificial devices such as splints and braces.
a treatment prescribing such a device, esp for the foot.
a device used for such treatment. - oscitation
-
yawning; drowsiness
inattention; negligence - osculate
- kiss
- osmic
- relating to odors or the sense of smell
- osmosis
- the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas, knowledge, etc.
- osseous
- consisting of or turned into bone; ossified
- ostensible
- stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.
- osteopathy
- branch of medical practice that emphasizes the treatment of medical disorders through the manipulation and massage of the bones, joints, and muscles.
- otiose
-
serving no practical purpose or result
indolent; idle - outre
- unusual and startling: "in 1975 the suggestion was considered outre--today it is orthodox"
- overblown
- (of a flower) past its prime
- overture
-
an introduction to something more substantial
an orchestral piece at the beginning of an opera, suite, play, oratorio, or other extended composition - overweening
- showing excessive confidence or pride
- ovine
- of, relating to, or resembling sheep
- oviparous
- (of a bird, etc) producing young by means of eggs that are hatched after they have been laid by the parent.
- ovoviviparous
- (of an animal) producing young by means of eggs that are hatched w/in the body of the parent, as in some snakes.
- oxide
- (chemistry) a binary compound of oxygen w/ another element or group
- ozone
- fresh, invigorating air, esp that blowing onto the shore from the sea