Emily Dickinson Lexicon

O-CEAN, a. [o'shun.]

Pertaining to the main or great sea; as, the ocean wave; ocean stream. Milton.

O'CEAN, n. [o'shun; L. oceanus; Gr. ωκεανος; Fr. ocean; Ir. ocein, aigein; W. eigiawn, aig or eigion. In Welsh, the word is rendered a great source, the middle, the abyss or great deep, and is allied in orthography to eigian, force, or a forcing out, a producing; eigiaw, to bring forth, from aig, what brings forth, the female, the womb, the sea, a shoal of fishes, a flock, or herd. Bochart cites many authorities to prove that the ancients understood the ocean to encompass the earth, and he supposes it to be derived from the Heb. Ch. and Syr. חוג hog, to encompass, whence a circle. This is probably an error. The word seems to have for its origin greatness or extent.]

1. The vast body of water which covers more than three fifths of the surface of the globe, called also the sea, or great sea. It is customary to speak of the ocean as if divided into three parts, the Atlantic ocean, the Pacific ocean, and the Indian ocean; but the ocean is one mass or body, partially separated by the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa on one side, and by America on the other.
2. An immense expanse; as, the boundless ocean of eternity; oceans of duration and space. Locke.

O-CE-AN'IC, a. [oshean'ic.]

Pertaining to the ocean. Cook.

O'CELLA-TED, a. [L. ocellatus, from ocellus; a little eye.]

1. Resembling an eye. Derham.
2. Formed with the figures of little eyes.

O'CELOT, n.

The French popular name of a digitigrade carnivorous mammal, of the cat kind. It is the Felis Pardalis of Linnæus, and it inhabits Mexico. It is likewise the French popular name of several other nearly allied species of Felis.

O'CHER, n. [Fr. ocre; L. ochra, Gr. ωχρα, from ωχρος, pale.]

A variety of clay deeply colored by the sesquoxyd of iron. Its most common colors are red, yellow and brown. It is used as a pigment.

O'CHER-OUS, a.

1. Consisting of ocher; as, ocherous matter.
2. Resembling ocher; as, an ocherous color.

OCH'I-MY, n. [corrupted from alchimy.]

A mixed base metal. Johnson. Todd.

OCH-LOC'RA-CY, n. [Gr. οχλοκρατια, the people or a multitude, and κρατεω, to govern.]

A form of government in which the multitude or common people rule. Encyc. Jones.

O'CHREY, a.

Partaking of ocher. [Not used.] Woodward.

OCH'ROITS, n.

Cerite.

O'CRA, n.

A viscous vegetable substance in the West Indies, used in soups, &c. Encyc. It is obtained by boiling the green pods of the Hibiscus esculentus. Also, the name of the plant itself.

OC'TA-CHORD, n.

An instrument or system of eight sounds. Busby.

OC'TA-GON, n. [Gr. οκτω, eight, and γωνια, angle.]

1. In geometry, a figure of eight sides and eight angles. When the sides and angles are equal, it is a regular octagon which may be inscribed in a circle. Harris. Encyc.
2. In fortification, a place with eight bastions. Encyc.

OC-TAG'ON-AL, a.

Having eight sides and eight angles.

OC-TA-HE'DRAL, a. [See Octahedron.]

Having eight equal sides.

OC-TA-HE'DRITE, n.

Pyramidical ore of titanium. Ure.

OC-TA-HE'DRON, n. [Gr. οκτω, eight, and εδρα, a base.]

In geometry, a solid contained by eight equal and equilateral triangles. It is one of the five regular bodies. Encyc.

OC-TAN'DER, n. [Gr. οκτω, eight, and ανηρ, a male.]

In botany, a monoclinous or hermaphrodite plant, having eight stamens, which are distinct from each other, and distinct from the pistil.

OC-TAN'DRI-AN, a.

Having the characters of an octander.

OC-TAN'GU-LAR, a. [L. octo, eight, and angular.]

Having eight angles.

OC-TAN'GU-LAR-NESS, n.

The quality of having eight angles.

OC'TANT, n. [L. octans, an eighth part, from octo, eight.]

In astronomy, that aspect of two planets in which they are distant from each other the eighth part of a circle or 45 ̊. Encyc.

OC'TA-STYLE, n. [Gr. οκτω and στυλος.]

In architecture, an edifice having eight columns in front.

OC'TA-TEUCH, n.

The first eight books of the Old Testament. Hanmer. [This is an improper word; there being no alliance in the first eight books, more than in the first ten or fifteen books.]