ou
noun
a rare Hawaiian honeycreeper, Psittirostra psittacea, having an olive-green body, a parrotlike bill, and in the male a bright yellow head.
ou
American
[oh-oo]
/ ˈoʊˈu /
Or
'o'u
noun
OU
1
British
abbreviation
-
the Open University
-
Oxford University
ou
2
British
/ əʊ /
noun
Etymology
Origin of ou
First recorded in 1885–90; from Hawaiian ʿōʿū
Compare meaning
How does ou compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
See Examples For:
"They say that 'C'etait ca ou mourir' was written by an artificial intelligence. That's slander and heresy," Orelien said in a statement Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Fnac, one of France’s largest booksellers, gave “C’etait ça ou Mourir” its novel of the year award.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
In the meantime, ou might even find it more empowering to treat yourself to something nice instead of waiting for the perfect gift from your partner.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2023
“Tout — ou rien,” replies the king: “all — or nothing.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2022
The work was titled Le Monde, ou Traité de la Lumière, and it was on the verge of being published when news of Galileo’s trial and conviction for heresy reached Holland.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Friedman led the study alongside Karen Jonscher, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and physiology in the OU College of Medicine.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 8, 2026
OU has not publicly commented beyond acknowledging the grade appeal process.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025
At OU, he is equal in rank to coach Brent Venables.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
Creative students came to OU from around the world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2025
MAIS, OU There’s no excuse for mangling words that come from foreign languages.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
