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  • OT
    OT
    occupational therapy.
  • ot-
    ot-
    variant of oto- before a vowel.
  • o.t.
    o.t.
    abbreviation
    overtime.
  • O.T.
    O.T.
    abbreviation
    Old Testament.

OT

1 American  

  1. occupational therapy.

  2. off-topic.

  3. Old Testament.

  4. overnight telegram.

  5. overtime.

ot- 2 American  

  1. variant of oto- before a vowel.

    otalgia.
o.t. 3 American  

abbreviation

  1. overtime.

O.T. 4 American  

abbreviation

  1. Old Testament.

OT 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. occupational therapy

  2. occupational therapist

  3. Old Testament

  4. overtime

"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
ot- 2 British  

combining form

  1. a variant of oto-

    otalgia
"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

Usage

What does ot- mean? Ot- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “ear.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology. Ot- comes from the Greek oûs, meaning “ear.” Related to the Greek oûs is English’s own word ear; so is the Latin word for ear, auris, which is the ultimate source of such words as aural. Learn more about oûs at our entry for otic, an adjective used in anatomy meaning “of or relating to the ear.”Ot- is a variant of oto-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use oto- article.

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.

Cleveland Browns: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia — Thanks to a trade with Jacksonville, the Browns have the draft capital to take a left tackle here.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

My job slashed OT and now I don’t think I can manage the bills.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Mr. Dick’s account of Speer as head of the OT makes for compelling and sobering reading.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

As Mr. Dick points out, Speer wasn’t the only OT operator to escape harsh punishment after the war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

An hour before OT on Thursday, I lay my sketchbook open on my desk and flip the pages, hunting for the right words and phrases to put on Jason’s cards.

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.