English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

ope

interjection

An exclamation of mild surprise or embarrassment, similar to "oops."

open

adjective

Not closed, blocked, or sealed — allowing entry, passage, or view.

opened

adjective

Already made open; having gone through the process of opening.

opener

noun

A tool designed to open something, such as a can or bottle.

opening

noun

A gap or hole that allows passage or access.

openly

adverb

In a direct, honest, and visible way, without hiding anything.

openness

noun

A willingness to consider new ideas, people, or experiences.

opera

noun

A theatrical work in which the story is told mainly through singing, with orchestral music.

operate

verb

To work or run, especially a machine or system.

operated

adjective

Powered or controlled by a specified means.

operatic

adjective

Relating to opera, or dramatic and grand in the style of opera.

operating

adjective

Currently running or functioning.

operation

noun

The way something works, or the act of making it work.

operational

adjective

Working and ready to be used.

operations

noun

The practical, day-to-day activities involved in running a business or organization.

operative

adjective

In effect, functioning, or currently applicable.

operator

noun

A person who runs or controls a machine, vehicle, or system.

operetta

noun

A short, light opera with a comic or romantic story and spoken dialogue between musical numbers.

Ophelia

name

A feminine given name of Greek origin, famously the tragic love interest in Shakespeare's Hamlet; also a moon of Uranus.

ophthalmologist

noun

A medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating eye diseases and vision problems.

opiate

noun

A drug derived from opium, used medically to relieve pain or induce sleep.

Opie

name

A Cornish surname, originating as a pet form of names such as Osborn.

opinion

noun

A belief or judgment that someone holds about a subject, not necessarily based on proven fact.

opinionated

adjective

Holding and expressing strong personal views, often stubbornly.

opium

noun

An addictive narcotic drug made from the dried sap of the opium poppy, containing morphine and other alkaloids.

oppa

noun

A Korean term used by a woman to affectionately address an older brother or close older male friend.

Oppenheimer

noun

A person from the German town of Oppenheim.

opponent

noun

A person who competes against or opposes someone else, as in a game, contest, or argument.

opportune

adjective

Well-timed or well-suited for a particular purpose.

opportunist

noun

A person who seizes any chance to benefit themselves, often disregarding principle or fairness.

opportunistic

adjective

Quick to take advantage of opportunities as they arise, often without regard for principles.

opportunity

noun

A favorable set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

opposable

adjective

Capable of being placed against or facing another part, especially describing a thumb that can touch the other fingers.

oppose

verb

To disagree with or actively resist something.

opposed

adjective

Disagreeing with or against something; in conflict with.

opposing

adjective

On the other or contrary side; in conflict with another.

opposite

adjective

Located directly across from something, or facing the other direction.

opposition

noun

Strong disagreement with, or resistance to, a plan, policy, or idea.

oppress

verb

To control or treat a group of people unfairly and cruelly, often by force.

oppressed

adjective

Kept down or treated unjustly by a more powerful group or authority.

oppressing

adjective

Cruel and burdensome; keeping people down by force or unfair power.

oppression

noun

The use of power in a cruel or unjust way to control or hold down a person or group.

oppressive

adjective

Unjust and harsh; ruling or treating people cruelly.

oppressor

noun

A person or group that uses power unjustly to control or mistreat others.

Oprah

name

A female given name, a variant of the biblical name Orpah, now widely associated with media figure Oprah Winfrey.

opry

noun

A folksy or dialectal way of saying "opera"; also, a venue that hosts country or folk music shows.

ops

noun

Short for "operations" — the practical, day-to-day running of a business, military mission, or IT system.

opt

verb

To choose one option over another, often after weighing alternatives.

optic

adjective

Relating to the eye or to vision.

optical

adjective

Relating to sight, vision, or the science of light.

optics

noun

The branch of physics that studies light and vision.

optimal

adjective

The best possible under the circumstances; most favorable given the constraints.

optimism

noun

A tendency to expect good things to happen or to see the positive side of a situation.

optimist

noun

Someone who habitually expects things to turn out well.

optimistic

adjective

Hopeful and expecting a good outcome.

optimization

noun

The process of making something — a system, design, or process — work as well as possible.

optimum

noun

The most favorable point or amount achievable under a given set of conditions.

Optimus

name

An affectionate nickname sometimes given to a machine, such as a car or robot, playing on the Latin word for "best."

option

noun

One of the choices available to someone in a given situation.

optional

adjective

Not required; available to choose but not compulsory.

optometrist

noun

A professional trained to examine eyes, test vision, and prescribe glasses or contact lenses.

opulent

adjective

Extremely luxurious and lavish, often to a showy degree.

opus

noun

A musical composition, especially one numbered within a composer's body of work.

or

conjunction

Used to link two or more alternatives, showing that any one of them could be true or chosen.

ora

noun

An old unit of currency used among the Anglo-Saxons.

oracle

noun

In ancient religion, a shrine or priest through whom a god was believed to answer questions or give prophecy — or the prophecy itself.

oral

adjective

Relating to the mouth.

orale

noun

A white silk vestment with colored stripes, sometimes worn by the Pope on formal occasions.

orally

adverb

By mouth, or in spoken rather than written form.

Oran

name

A major port city and province in Algeria; also a masculine given name of Irish origin.

orange

noun

A round citrus fruit with a sweet-tart taste and a thick, textured peel that turns yellow-orange when ripe; also the tree it grows on.

orangutan

noun

A large, tree-dwelling ape with shaggy reddish-brown fur and long arms, native to Borneo and Sumatra.

orator

noun

A skilled public speaker, especially one who is persuasive or eloquent.

oratory

noun

The skill or art of public speaking, especially in a formal or persuasive style.

orb

noun

A sphere or spherical object, especially something described poetically — a planet, star, or globe.

Orbison

name

A surname, most famously associated with singer Roy Orbison.

orbit

noun

The curved path an object follows as it travels around another body due to gravity, such as a planet around the sun.

orbital

adjective

Relating to an orbit, such as that of a moon, planet, or spacecraft.

orbiter

noun

A spacecraft designed to circle a planet or moon without landing on it.

orbiting

noun

The act of circling a body in space; also, informally, the practice of ending contact with someone romantically while still watching or following them on social media.

orc

noun

A mythical monstrous, humanoid creature — usually depicted as brutish, aggressive, and green-skinned — common in fantasy fiction.

orca

noun

The killer whale, a large black-and-white marine mammal related to dolphins.

orchard

noun

A piece of land planted with fruit or nut trees, or the trees growing there.

orchestra

noun

A large group of musicians who play together, typically combining strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion.

orchestral

adj

Relating to, or written for, an orchestra.

orchestrate

verb

To arrange a piece of music so it can be performed by an orchestra.

orchestration

noun

The arranging of a piece of music for performance by an orchestra.

orchid

noun

A plant of the orchid family, known for its unusually shaped, often striking flowers.

ord

noun

An archaic or dialectal word for a point, tip, or edge — such as the point of a weapon or a point of land.

ordained

adj

Officially established or decreed by an authority.

ordeal

noun

A very difficult, painful, or exhausting experience.

order

noun

The arrangement of things in a particular sequence or pattern.

ordered

adj

Arranged neatly and systematically; not messy or chaotic.

ordering

noun

The act of arranging things into a sequence.

orderly

adj

Neat, tidy, and well arranged.

Orders

name

An English surname.

ordinarily

adv

Under normal circumstances; usually.

ordinary

adj

Normal, usual, or unremarkable; not special or different from what is expected.

ordnance

noun

Military weapons, ammunition, and related equipment, especially heavy artillery.

ore

noun

Rock or mineral from which metal or other valuable material can be extracted.

oregano

noun

A fragrant herb, related to mint, whose leaves are widely used to season savory dishes, especially in Italian and Mediterranean cooking.

Oren

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "pine tree," with a biblical source.

Oreo

noun

A round sandwich cookie made of two dark, chocolate-flavoured wafers with a sweet cream filling in between, most famously made by Nabisco.

Orestes

name

In Greek mythology, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra who avenged his father's murder; also a region of Macedonia and a town in Indiana.

organ

noun

A part of the body, such as the heart or liver, that performs a specific function.

organic

adj

Relating to or coming from living things.

organically

adv

Using natural methods, without artificial chemicals.

organisation

noun

The standard British and Australian spelling of "organization" — a group of people with a shared purpose, or the state of being well arranged.

organise

verb

The standard British spelling of "organize" — to arrange or coordinate something.

organising

noun

The British spelling of the act or process of arranging something.

organism

noun

A complete, living individual thing, such as an animal, plant, fungus, or microbe.

organist

noun

A musician who plays the organ.

organization

noun

A group of people, or of legal entities, formed for a particular purpose and governed by set rules.

organizational

adj

Relating to an organization or to the way something is organized.

organize

verb

To arrange something so it is in order or works efficiently.

organized

adj

Arranged carefully and in good order; not chaotic.

organizer

noun

A person who plans and arranges the details of an event.

organizing

noun

The process of arranging or coordinating something.

orgasm

noun

The peak of sexual pleasure, occurring at the climax of sexual activity.

orgasmic

adj

Relating to, or resulting in, an orgasm.

orgy

noun

A wild, unrestrained party involving heavy drinking, group sex, or general excess.

Ori

noun

In Yoruba spiritual belief, a person's inner spirit or destiny — the part of them believed to guide their fate and personality.

orient

verb

To figure out your position or direction, or to position something to face a certain way.

Oriental

adj

Relating to East Asia or, historically, the broader region east of Europe.

oriented

adj

Focused on or organized around a particular goal or principle.

orifice

noun

An opening, especially one in the body or in a pipe or tube.

origami

noun

The art of folding paper into decorative shapes without cutting or gluing it.

origin

noun

The point where something begins or comes from.

original

adj

The first of its kind, existing before any copies.

originality

noun

The quality of being new, inventive, and not copied from anyone else.

originally

adv

At first, or in the beginning, before things changed.

originate

verb

To come into existence, or to have a particular starting point.

Orin

noun

A variety of apple originally cultivated in Japan, known for its sweet flavor and yellow-green skin.

Orion

noun

A well-known constellation on the celestial equator, easily spotted by its three-star "belt," and containing the bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel.

Orla

name

A feminine given name of Irish origin, meaning "golden princess."

Orlando

name

A masculine given name and surname of Italian origin, and a major city in Florida named in the nineteenth century.

Orleans

name

A historic city in north-central France, the capital of the Loiret department, on the Loire river.

Orlov

name

A Russian surname.

Orly

name

A city near Paris, France, known for its airport.

Ormond

name

A surname and the name of a historic earldom in Ireland, also a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.

ornament

noun

A decorative object or detail added to make something more attractive.

ornamental

adj

Serving as decoration rather than having any practical use.

Ornaments

name

The English name for the forty-third sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.

ornate

adj

Elaborately decorated, often to the point of being excessive.

ornery

adj

Stubborn, grumpy, and difficult to deal with.

orphan

noun

A child whose parents have both died (or, more loosely, abandoned them).

orphanage

noun

A home or institution that houses and cares for orphaned children.

orphaned

adj

Having lost both parents, typically through death.

Orpheus

noun

A legendary Greek musician whose songs were said to charm even rocks and rivers, famous for trying and failing to bring his wife back from the dead.

Orr

name

A Scottish surname, and the name of several small communities in the United States.