English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

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.

oracular

adj

Relating to an oracle.

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.

orangeade

noun

A fizzy soft drink flavoured with orange, or a mixture of soda water and orange juice.

orangutan

noun

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

orate

verb

To speak in a formal way or deliver a speech.

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.

orbicular

adj

Shaped like a circle or a sphere; round.

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.

orchestrator

noun

A person who organises and directs something.

orchid

noun

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

orchidea

name

A female forename from Italian, itself from Latin, used only rarely.

orchiectomy

noun

An operation to remove one or both testicles.

orchis

noun

An orchid, especially one belonging to the genus Orchis.

orcus

name

An Etruscan and Roman god associated with the underworld.

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.

ordain

verb

To decide or fix something in advance so that it cannot be changed.

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.

ordinal

adj

Showing where something comes in an order, such as first or second.

ordinance

noun

A law made by a local authority, such as a city council.

ordinarily

adv

Under normal circumstances; usually.

ordinariness

noun

The state of being ordinary, plain or unremarkable.

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.

ordo

noun

In music, a phrase built from one or more repetitions of a single modal pattern, finishing with a rest.

ordure

noun

Solid waste passed from an animal's body; excrement.

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.

organelle

noun

An organelle is a small, specialised part inside a cell that carries out a particular job for that cell.

organic

adj

Relating to or coming from living things.

organically

adv

Using natural methods, without artificial chemicals.

organicity

noun

How organic something is, rather than artificial or synthetic.

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.

orgo

noun

Organic chemistry, typically used to refer to the subject itself.

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.

orientalism

noun

A tendency, especially in 19th-century Europe, to depict Eastern subjects using styles thought to be typical of the East.

orientalist

adj

Relating to a Western way of depicting or viewing Eastern cultures.

orientate

verb

To point or turn towards a particular direction.

orientation

noun

An introductory session or programme that familiarises new students, employees or members with a place and its procedures.

oriented

adj

Focused on or organized around a particular goal or principle.

orientee

noun

A new employee who is being trained and assessed during their first period in a job.

orienteer

noun

A person who takes part in orienteering.

orienteering

noun

A sport in which people find their way across unknown countryside using a map and compass, often as a race.

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.

origination

noun

The way in which something is created or made to exist.

originator

noun

A person who starts, invents or sets up something new.

Orin

noun

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

oriole

noun

A brightly coloured perching bird belonging either to the New World genus Icterus or the Old World family Oriolidae.

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.

orison

noun

Deep spiritual thought, or a feeling of closeness with something sacred.

oriya

name

Odia, the language spoken in the state of Odisha, India.

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.

ormer

noun

A type of sea snail with an ear-shaped shell, especially the kind found around the Channel Islands.

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.

ornamentalist

noun

An artist who prefers a decorative style of work.

ornamentation

noun

Something added to make an object look more attractive.

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.

ornithological

adj

Relating to the scientific study of birds.

ornithologist

noun

A person who studies birds, or whose work is ornithology.

ornithology

noun

The part of zoology concerned with the scientific study of birds.

orped

adj

(archaic) Brave, energetic and full of confidence.

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.

orphanhood

noun

The condition of being a child whose parents have both died.

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.

orrin

name

A male first name of Irish of obscure origin, possibly a variant of Oren or Oran origin.

Orson

name

A surname and masculine given name.

ort

noun

A small piece of food left over after a meal, or any leftover scrap.

Ortega

name

A Spanish surname.

orthodontist

noun

A dentist who specializes in straightening teeth and correcting bite problems, often using braces.

orthodox

adj

Following the traditional, widely accepted beliefs or practices of a religion or system of thought.

orthodoxy

noun

Strict adherence to accepted or traditional beliefs, especially religious ones.

orthoepy

noun

The branch of language study that looks at how words are pronounced.

orthogonal

adj

Describes two things that meet or cross each other at a ninety-degree angle.

orthography

noun

The system of writing a language with letters and symbols, including how words are spelled.

orthopaedic

adjective

Relating to the branch of medicine that deals with bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons, and with correcting their deformities and injuries.

orthopedic

adj

Relating to the treatment of bones, joints, and muscles.

orthopedics

noun

Orthopedics is the medical field devoted to preventing and treating problems affecting the bones, muscles and joints.

orthophosphate

noun

A salt or ester derived from orthophosphoric acid; a standard phosphate.

Ortiz

name

A Spanish surname.

Orton

name

An English surname, and the name of several villages in England and small communities in North America.

Orville

name

A masculine given name coined by the novelist Fanny Burney for a character in her novel Evelina.

Orwell

name

An English surname taken by the writer George Orwell from the River Orwell in Suffolk, England; also the name of that river and several villages and towns.

oryx

noun

A type of African antelope with long, straight horns.

os

noun

In anatomy, a bone, or an opening shaped like a mouth — most commonly the opening at either end of the cervix.

Osaka

name

The capital city of Osaka Prefecture on the island of Honshu, Japan, and a Japanese surname.

Osama

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin.

Osamu

name

A masculine Japanese given name.

Osborn

name

An English surname, a variant of Osborne.

Osborne

name

An English surname and given name of Germanic origin, also the name of several places including a former royal palace on the Isle of Wight.

Oscar

noun

The gold statuette awarded each year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievement in film; by extension, the award itself.

Oscar Mike

phrase

Military radio slang for 'on the move' — meaning a unit has left its position and is now travelling. It is formed from the NATO phonetic alphabet words for the letters O and M.

oscillate

verb

To move repeatedly from side to side, often in a steady pattern.