Oto

¹

or O·toe

[ oh-toh ]

noun

, plural O·tos, (especially collectively) O·to.

1. a member of a Siouan-speaking tribe of North American Indians who formerly inhabited the lower Missouri River basin and now live in Oklahoma.

oto-

²

1. a combining form meaning “ear,” used in the formation of compound words:

   otology.

oto-

combining_form

1. indicating the ear

   otitis

   otolith

Word History and Origins

Origin of Oto¹

< Greek ōto-, combining form of oûs ear ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of Oto¹

from Greek ous, ōt- ear

Example Sentences

He informed us, that it is in such high request amongst the Oto Indians, that a horse has been exchanged for eight or ten of them.

From Project Gutenberg

Swim (v), ni̍huan (an French); same word as in the Oto language.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. Bodmer took the portraits of an Omaha and an Oto Indian.

From Project Gutenberg

Near the mouth of Gasconade River we met the Oto steam-boat.

From Project Gutenberg

Ietan, an Oto, of whom we have before spoken, visited us to-day for the purpose of getting two gun-locks mended.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use oto-

What does oto- mean?

Oto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “ear.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.

Oto- 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.”

What are variants of oto-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, oto- becomes ot-, as in otitis.

Examples of oto-

One example of a medical term that features oto– is otopathy, “a disease of the ear.”

If you’ve been listening, you know that oto- means “ear.” The combining form -pathy is ultimately from the Greek pathos, meaning “suffering, sensation.” It can be used in compound words to indicate “disease.” So, otopathy literally means “ear disease.”

What are some words that use the combining form oto-?

• otocyst
• otocephaly
• otodynia
• otoganglion
• otology
• otomycosis
• otoplasty
• otorrhea

What are some other forms that oto- may be commonly confused with?

• octo-
• omo-
• auto-

Break it down!

Rhinoplasty is plastic surgery of the nose. Blepharoplasty is plastic surgery of the eyelid. What is the medical term for plastic surgery of the ear?