ou

American

[oh-oo] / ˈoʊˈu /

Or 'o'u

noun

a rare Hawaiian honeycreeper, Psittirostra psittacea, having an olive-green body, a parrotlike bill, and in the male a bright yellow head.

OU ¹ British

abbreviation

the Open University
Oxford University

"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

ou ² British

/ əʊ /

noun

slang a man, bloke, or chap

"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

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:

ou vs. uh

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.

“Ki moun ou ye” keeps doing this — paring back before pressing forward with fresh urgency — while maintaining an easygoing vibe.

From New York Times • Feb. 29, 2024

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

"Y ou know it's bad when you've lost Fox," Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., added.

From Salon • May 11, 2023

Já na época de seca ou “verão”, de junho a novembro, o fluxo de água caía para 2.000 metros cúbicos por segundo.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 5, 2023

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

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