O

¹

or o

[ oh ]

noun

, plural O's or Os; o's or os or oes.

1. the fifteenth letter of the English alphabet, a vowel.
2. any spoken sound represented by the letter O or o, as in box, note, short, or love .
3. something having the shape of an O .
4. a written or printed representation of the letter O or o.
5. a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter O or o.

o-

²

Chemistry.

1. an abridgment of ortho-.

o.

³

abbreviation for

1. pint.

O.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. (in prescriptions) a pint.

O

⁵

[ oh ]

interjection

1. (used before a name in direct address, especially in solemn or poetic language, to lend earnestness to an appeal):

   Hear, O Israel!

2. (used as an expression of surprise, pain, annoyance, longing, gladness, etc.)

noun

, plural O's.

1. the exclamation “O.”

o-

⁶

1. variant of ob- before m:

   omission.

o.

⁷

abbreviation for

1. octavo.
2. off.
3. old.
4. only.
5. order.
6. Baseball. out; outs.

O.

⁸

abbreviation for

1. Ocean.
2. octavo.
3. October.
4. Ohio.
5. Old.
6. Ontario.
7. Oregon.

O

⁹

abbreviation for

1. Grammar. object ( def 7 ).
2. Old.

o-

¹⁰

1. variant of oo-:

   oidium.

O

¹¹

Symbol.

1. the fifteenth in order or in a series.
2. the Arabic cipher; zero.
3. (sometimes lowercase) the medieval Roman numeral for 11. Compare Roman numerals ( def ).
4. Physiology. a major blood group, usually enabling a person whose blood is of this type to donate blood to persons of group O, A, B, or AB and to receive blood from persons of group O. Compare ABO system ( def ).
5. Chemistry. oxygen.
6. Logic. particular negative.

o'

¹²

[ uh, oh ]

preposition

1. a shortened form of of, as in o'clock or will-o'-the-wisp.
2. Chiefly Dialect. a shortened form of on.

O'

¹³

1. a prefix meaning “descendant,” in Irish family names:

   O'Brien; O'Connor.

-o

¹⁴

1. a suffix occurring as the final element in informal shortenings of nouns ( ammo; combo; condo; limo; promo ); -o also forms nouns, usually derogatory, for persons or things exemplifying or associated with that specified by the base noun or adjective ( cheapo; pinko; sicko; weirdo; wino ).
2. a suffix occurring in colloquial noun or adjective derivatives, usually grammatically isolated, as in address:

   cheerio; kiddo; neato; righto.

-o-

¹⁵

1. the typical ending of the first element of compounds of Greek origin (as -i- is, in compounds of Latin origin), used regularly in forming new compounds with elements of Greek origin and often used in English as a connective irrespective of etymology:

   Franco-Italian; geography; seriocomic; speedometer.

-o

¹

suffix

1. forming informal and slang variants and abbreviations, esp of nouns

   wino

   Jacko

   lie doggo

o

²

/ əʊ /

noun

1. the 15th letter and fourth vowel of the modern English alphabet
2. any of several speech sounds represented by this letter, in English as in code, pot, cow, move, or form
3. See nought
   another name for nought

o'

³

/ ə /

preposition

1. See of
   informal.
   shortened form of of

   a cup o' tea

o-

⁴

prefix

1. See ortho-
   short for ortho-

O'-

⁵

prefix

1. (in surnames of Irish Gaelic origin) descendant of

   O'Corrigan

-o-

⁶

connective vowel

1. See -i-
   used to connect elements in a compound word Compare -i-

   filmography

   chromosome

O

⁷

/ əʊ /

interjection

1. See oh
   a variant spelling of oh
2. an exclamation introducing an invocation, entreaty, wish, etc

   O for the wings of a dove!

   O God!

O

⁸

symbol for

1. chem oxygen
2. See universal donor
   a human blood type of the ABO group See universal donor
3. See I, E, A
   logic a particular negative categorial proposition, such as some men are not married: often symbolized as SoP Compare A E I 2

abbreviation for

1. slang.
   offence

Word History and Origins

Origin of O¹

From the Latin word octārius

Origin of O²

From the Latin word octārius

Origin of O³

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ō

Origin of O⁴

From Middle English; by shortening

Origin of O⁵

Representing Irish ó descendant, Old Irish au

Origin of O⁶

Perhaps originally the interjection O, appended to words as in -o def 2; as a derivational suffix reinforced by clipped forms of words with -o- as a linking element (e.g., photo, stereo ), by Rom nouns ending in o, and by personal nouns such as bimbo and bozo, of obscure origin

Origin of O⁷

Middle English (< Old French ) < Latin < Greek

Word History and Origins

Origin of O¹

probably special use of oh

Origin of O²

from Irish Gaelic ó, ua descendant

Origin of O³

from Greek, stem vowel of many nouns and adjectives in combination

Origin of O⁴

(for sense 3) from Latin ( neg ) o I deny

Example Sentences

And so the “Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ria” in this number earns it a spot on my list.

From The Daily Beast

He came at David O. Selznick's urging, and together they made Rebecca, Spellbound, and The Paradine Case.

From The Daily Beast

It was Tarshis who gave the comedian the memorable epithet “Jell-O Man.”

From The Daily Beast

That hers could be a scene in a David O. Russell film brings it to the next level.

From The Daily Beast

Born in Connecticut in 1847, he had a long railroad career before coming to the B O in 1896.

From The Daily Beast

Sleek finds it far harder work than fortune-making; but he pursues his Will-o'-the-Wisp with untiring energy.

From Project Gutenberg

O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that hath peace in his possessions!

From Project Gutenberg

D'o l'on peut aussy veoir, quelle esperance il y a de planter une belle chrestient par tels evangelistes.

From Project Gutenberg

That they may know thee, as we also have known thee, that there is no God beside thee, O Lord.

From Project Gutenberg

O wicked presumption, whence camest thou to cover the earth with thy malice, and deceitfulness?

From Project Gutenberg