ou

American  

[oh-oo] / ˈoʊˈu /

Or 'o'u

noun

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

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OU ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. the Open University

2. Oxford University

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ou ² British  

/ əʊ /

noun

1. slang a man, bloke, or chap

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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

According to the study's lead researcher Professor Jian Zhen Ou and Dr. Baoyue Zhang from RMIT's School of Engineering, small changes to the chemical structure of the particles caused them to release reactive oxygen molecules.

From Science Daily

OU has not publicly commented beyond acknowledging the grade appeal process.

From Salon

Junior Joshua Ou was performing in a class that may seem unlikely in an era of fraught debate over what can and can’t be said on college campuses: “Introduction to Stand-Up Comedy.”

From Los Angeles Times

That’s the case for Ou, 20, who is majoring in human development and aging and plans to pursue a career in nursing.

From Los Angeles Times

Tomer Janar Lind, an Israeli-Estonian citizen who is listed in Britain’s corporate registry as the representative of Talent Globus OU—which Al-Majd had previously said on its website processes its donations—declined to comment.

From The Wall Street Journal