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Om

Om

noun

a mantric word thought to be a complete expression of Brahman and interpreted as having three sounds representing Brahma or creation, Vishnu or preservation, and Siva or destruction, or as consisting of the same three sounds, representing waking, dreams, and deep sleep, along with the following silence, which is fulfillment.
Om.

Om.

abbreviation

Ostmark.
O.M.

O.M.

abbreviation

Order of Merit.
OM

OM

abbreviation

Order of Merit (a Brit title)
om

om

abbreviation

Oman

Om

¹ American

[awm] / ɔm /

Also Aum

noun

Hinduism.

a mantric word thought to be a complete expression of Brahman and interpreted as having three sounds representing Brahma or creation, Vishnu or preservation, and Siva or destruction, or as consisting of the same three sounds, representing waking, dreams, and deep sleep, along with the following silence, which is fulfillment.

Om. ² American

abbreviation

Ostmark.

O.M. ³ American

abbreviation

British.

Order of Merit.

OM ¹ British

abbreviation

Order of Merit (a Brit title)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

symbol

currency (the former) Ostmark

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Om ² British

/ əʊm /

noun

Hinduism a sacred syllable typifying the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, who are concerned in the threefold operation of integration, maintenance, and disintegration

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

OM ³ British

abbreviation

Oman (international car registration)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

om ⁴ British

abbreviation

Oman

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Oms

plural

Etymology

Origin of Om

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1780–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At villager Om Prakash Verma's home, the constant activity has left cracks in the walls.

From Barron's • May 31, 2026

Om is said to be the mantra describing the sound of the universe.

From Salon • Sep. 12, 2024

"We are investigating the matter and have asked Delhi Police to join the inquiry," Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2023

"I'm facing breathing trouble. It feels like something is stuck in my throat," said resident Om Prakash Singh.

From Reuters • Oct. 30, 2023

It was one word, one syllable, which without thinking he spoke indistinctly, the ancient beginning and ending of all Brahmin prayers, the holy Om, which had the meaning of "the Perfect One” or "Perfection.”

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023