n. Small egg-shaped musical wind-instrument. [italian oca goose]
OCCIPUT
n. Back of the head. occipital adj. [latin caput head]
OCCLUDE
v. (-ding) 1 stop up or close.
- chem. Absorb and retain (gases).
- (as occluded adj.) Meteorol. (of a frontal system) formed when a cold front overtakes a warm front, raising warm air from ground level. occlusion n. [latin occludo occlus- close up]
OCTAGON
n. Plane figure with eight sides and angles. octagonal adj. [greek: related to *octa-, -gonos -angled]
OCTOBER
n. Tenth month of the year. [latin octo eight, originally the 8th month of the roman year]
OCTOPUS
n. (pl. -puses) sea mollusc with eight suckered tentacles. [greek: related to *octo-, pous foot]
OCULIST
n. Specialist in the treatment of the eyes.
ODDBALL
n. Colloq. Eccentric person.
ODDMENT
n. - odd article; something left over.
- (in pl.) Miscellaneous articles.
ODYSSEY
n. (pl. -s) long adventurous journey. [title of the homeric epic poem on the adventures of odysseus]
