📖 O — The English dictionary · page 12

optic — Everyday, meaning 1: (adjective) To do with the eye or sight: «the optic nerve».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (optics, uncountable) The science of light and how it behaves, including lenses and mirrors.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (noun, UK) A device fixed to a bottle to pour out a measured amount of drink.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (optics, informal) How something looks to the public.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: An optic is an old or poetic word for an eye.↗ Example: The optic nerve sends signals from your eye to your brain.↗ · Fibre optic cables carry information as light.↗ · Optics is the science of light.↗ · Lenses in glasses are part of optics.↗ · The doctor checked my optic nerve.↗ · Fibre optic lamps glow at the tips.↗ · But the eagle-eyed watcher watched until his eyes narrowed and became pin-points, and he ceased to be a man and became an optic.↗

optical — Everyday, meaning 1: To do with seeing and the eyes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To do with light and how it travels, or with instruments that use light, such as lenses, microscopes and telescopes.↗ Example: The picture is an optical illusion: the two lines look different but are the same length.↗ · Optical fibres carry internet signals as flashes of light.↗ · A telescope is an optical instrument.↗ · The optical mouse uses a tiny light to see movement.↗ · Optical shops sell glasses and contact lenses.↗ · The magician used optical tricks with mirrors.↗

optician — Everyday, meaning 1: An optician is a person whose job is to test people's eyes and make or sell glasses and contact lenses.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The optician's is the shop where they work.↗ Example: I had an eye test at the optician's today.↗ · The optician said I need glasses for reading.↗ · The optician asked me to read letters on a chart.↗ · My mum picked new frames at the optician's.↗ · The optician shone a little light into my eyes.↗ · Opticians can tell if your eyes are healthy.↗ · We waited at the optician while my glasses were fixed.↗

optimistic — Everyday, meaning 1: Hopeful and believing good things will happen.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (of a guess or plan) Hoping for more than is likely (an optimistic estimate).↗ Example: She's optimistic about the test tomorrow.↗ · Even when we lose, our coach stays optimistic.↗ · Ten minutes to tidy the whole house?↗ That's optimistic!↗ · I'm optimistic it will stop raining.↗ · He gave an optimistic guess of 100 people coming.↗ · Being optimistic helps you keep trying.↗

option — Everyday, meaning 1: One of the things you can choose from.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The freedom or right to choose.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A school subject you choose to study (UK).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (formal, business) A right to buy or sell something later.↗ Example: Option C is the right answer.↗ · We had two options: walk or take the bus.↗ · I had no option but to wait in the rain.↗ · The vegetarian option on the menu is pasta.↗ · Click Options to change the sound.↗ · She took French as one of her options.↗ · With 4 flavours and 3 toppings there are 12 options.↗ · Keep your options open until you have all the facts.↗

optional — Everyday, meaning 1: Something you can choose to do or have, but you do not have to.↗ Example: The extra worksheet is optional.↗ · Uniform is compulsory, but the hat is optional.↗ · Tipping is optional in some countries.↗ · Sprinkles are optional — do you want them?↗ · The trip is optional, but most children are going.↗ · Question 5 is optional for those who finish early.↗

optometrist — Everyday, meaning 1: An optometrist is a person trained to test people's eyesight, check eye health and prescribe glasses or contact lenses.↗ Example: The optometrist tested my eyes.↗ · I read letters on a chart at the optometrist's.↗ · The optometrist said I need glasses for reading.↗ · An optometrist looks at the back of your eye with a light.↗ · Mum is an optometrist.↗ · Children should see an optometrist regularly.↗

opus — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A Latin word meaning a work, especially a piece of writing or music.↗ Example: On the further attribution of these Seven letters, note that Postellus gives : Vita — Mors, Pax — afflictio, Sapientia — stultitia, Divitiae (Opus) — paupertas, Gratia — opprobrium.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

or — Everyday, meaning 1: Or gives a choice between two or more things: tea or juice?↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Or means if not, otherwise.↗ e.g. Hurry, or you'll be late.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Or can give another word for the same thing: a joey, or baby kangaroo.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: «Either … or» gives exactly two choices; «whether or not» means in either case.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (casual) «Or what?» at the end pushes a question: «you coming or what?»; «or something», «or whatever» mean roughly, I'm not sure.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (rough) «Or else!» at the end is a threat: «Give it back, or else!».↗ Everyday, meaning 7: (formal) The exam voice says «alternatively», «otherwise», «failing which», «or, equivalently», «either … or …», «respectively».↗ Example: First decide: are things coming together, or going away?↗ · Do we add or subtract?↗ · Do you want an apple or a banana?↗ · Is 15 odd or even?↗ · Put on sunscreen, or you will get sunburnt.↗ · You can draw a cat, a dog or a horse.↗ · We will be there in ten minutes or so.↗ · A baby kangaroo, or joey, lives in its mum's pouch.↗ · are you thick or what, it's 12↗ · Give my ball back, or else!↗ · there's like 20 kids or something↗ · Indicate whether the integer 15 is odd or even; failing which, no credit shall be awarded.↗ · "Are you awake or asleep, One-Eye?↗ · or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed, (Torah LEV.21.19, JPS 1917)↗ · Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.↗ (Torah EXO.22.22, JPS 1917)↗ · Know now whether it is thy son's coat or not.'↗ (Torah GEN.37.32, JPS 1917)↗ · Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?↗ (Writings JOB.8.3, JPS 1917)↗ · Or who laid the corner-stone thereof, (Writings JOB.38.6, JPS 1917)↗ · Or where were the upright cut off?↗ (Writings JOB.4.7, JPS 1917)↗

oracle — Everyday, meaning 1: In ancient Greece and Rome, a priest or priestess through whom people believed the gods gave advice or told the future, or the holy place where this happened, like the Oracle of Delphi.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A message or answer given by such an oracle.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) A person who knows a lot and is asked for advice.↗ Example: The Greeks visited the Oracle at Delphi for advice.↗ · The oracle's answer was a puzzling riddle.↗ · The king asked the oracle if he would win the war.↗ · My sister is the family oracle on dinosaurs.↗ · The oracle was believed to speak the words of the god Apollo.↗ · Ask Grandpa, he's the oracle on football facts.↗ · Hence the Greeks had returned home in order to seek fresh instructions from an oracle.↗ · "Its form is simple and grave; there is nothing like a demonstration nor an argument; but it consists rather of a series of aphorisms, regularly grouped, and which have all the conciseness of the most ancient oracles."↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

oracular — Everyday, meaning 1: Oracular means like an oracle: giving wise-sounding answers or predictions that are often hard to understand.↗ Example: The old woman gave an oracular reply.↗ · The prophecy was oracular and puzzling.↗ · His oracular words left everyone thinking.↗

oral — Everyday, meaning 1: Oral means spoken, not written: an oral test or an oral report is done by talking.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Oral means to do with the mouth: oral hygiene is keeping your mouth and teeth clean.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Oral medicine is taken by mouth, swallowed, not injected.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (UK, noun) An oral is a speaking exam, especially in a foreign language.↗ Example: We have an oral exam in French next week, so I am practising speaking.↗ · Brushing twice a day is good oral hygiene.↗ · Take this oral medicine with a glass of water.↗ · My oral presentation was about volcanoes.↗ · Many old stories were passed down in an oral tradition before they were written.↗ · We recorded Grandma's oral history of growing up on a farm.↗ · The dentist checks your oral health.↗

orally — Everyday, meaning 1: By speaking, not in writing, as in "answer orally".↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (medicine) By mouth, as in "take this medicine orally".↗ Example: Please answer the questions orally, not in writing.↗ · The old stories were passed down orally for hundreds of years.↗ · Take two tablets orally with water.↗ · We presented our science project orally to the class.↗ · In the French test, part is done orally.↗ · The vaccine can be given orally as drops.↗ · Some of the Indian tales reached Europe at the time of the Crusades, either orally or in collections no longer extant.↗

orang — Everyday, meaning 1: Short for orangutan, the large red-haired ape of Borneo and Sumatra.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Malay, Indonesian) «Orang» means «person» or «people»; orangutan means «person of the forest».↗ Example: The orang swung from branch to branch.↗ · Orangs build a new nest of leaves every night.↗ · «Orangutan» comes from Malay words meaning «person of the forest».↗ · In Malay, «orang» means person.↗ · The zoo has two orangs and a baby.↗ · Orangs are in danger because their forests are being cut down.↗

orange — Everyday, meaning 1: An orange is a round, juicy fruit with a thick skin; it grows on a tree.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Orange is a color between red and yellow, like the color of carrots and pumpkins.↗ Example: They harvest 65 sacks of oranges each day.↗ · She bought 12 oranges.↗ · 25 of the sacks are of ripe oranges.↗ · He has 6 orange marbles.↗ · I peeled an orange and shared it.↗ · Mix red and yellow to make orange.↗ · Pumpkins are orange.↗ · A glass of orange juice comes with breakfast.↗ · The sky turned orange at sunset.↗ · An orange has about 10 segments.↗ · He hardly had courage to open his last orange.↗

orangutan — Everyday, meaning 1: An orangutan is a large, intelligent ape with long reddish-orange hair and very long arms, which lives in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra in South-East Asia.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Orangutans spend most of their lives in trees and are the largest tree-living animals.↗ Example: The orangutan swung slowly from branch to branch.↗ · Orangutans live only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.↗ · Their name means «person of the forest».↗ · A baby orangutan stays with its mother for years.↗ · Orangutans build a fresh leafy nest each night.↗ · Cutting down the rainforest puts orangutans in danger.↗ · The orangutan held a big leaf over its head like an umbrella.↗

oration — Everyday, meaning 1: An oration is a formal speech, often given at a special ceremony such as a funeral.↗ Example: The mayor gave an oration at the school opening.↗ · Her grandfather's funeral oration made everyone cry.↗ · The speaker's oration was short and sincere.↗

orator — Everyday, meaning 1: An orator is a person who is skilled at making speeches in public.↗ Example: The orator stood on the steps and spoke to the crowd.↗ · Our class captain is a fine orator.↗ · The orator's words stirred everyone.↗

oratory — Everyday, meaning 1: The skill of giving powerful, good speeches in public.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (church) A small chapel or room for private prayer; also a particular Catholic community and its church, like the London Oratory.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (poetic) The place in the east where the sun seems to rise, thought of as a small chapel.↗ Example: Martin Luther King Jr.'s oratory moved millions of people.↗ · The debating club helps you improve your oratory.↗ · Ancient Romans studied oratory at school.↗ · The castle has a tiny oratory where the family prayed.↗ · His oratory made the crowd cheer.↗ · The Brompton Oratory is a large Catholic church in London.↗ · He exchanged his royal dress for another, and next morning, just as the sun looked forth from its eastern oratory, he went again into the city.↗

orb — Everyday, meaning 1: An orb is a ball or round object, especially one that glows.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An orb is a golden ball with a cross on top, held by a king or queen at a coronation.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (poetic) An orb can mean the sun, the moon, a planet or an eye.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (games) In video games, an orb is a glowing ball you collect for points or power.↗ Example: The king held the orb and the sceptre.↗ · A glowing orb floated above the wizard's hand.↗ · The golden orb of the sun sank behind the hills.↗ · Collect ten orbs to unlock the next level.↗ · The crown jewels include a jewelled orb.↗ · In the poem, the moon is called «the silver orb».↗ · He had the crown on his head, carried his sceptre in one hand, and the orb in the other.↗ · The Twenty-eighth Path is the Natural Intelligence, and is so called because through it is consummated and perfected the nature of every existent being under the orb of the Sun, in perfection.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗ · The Twenty-seventh Path is the Exciting Intelli- gence, and it is so called because through it is consum- mated and perfected the nature of every existent being under the orb of the Sun, in perfection.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

orbit — Everyday, meaning 1: An orbit is the curved path of a planet, moon or satellite going around a star or planet.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) To orbit is to move around something in a path like this.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: An orbit can mean someone's area of interest or influence.↗ Example: The Earth orbits the Sun.↗ · The Moon takes about 27 days to orbit the Earth.↗ · The rocket put a satellite into orbit.↗ · Astronauts live on the space station in orbit.↗ · Mars has a longer orbit than Earth.↗ · The planets' orbits are almost circles.↗ · Because it regulates the motions of the Sun and Moon in their proper order, each in an orbit convenient for it.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗ · astronomers signified by the word Tali, not the constellation Draco, but the line which joins together the two points in which the orbit of the moon intercepts the ecliptic (Dragon's head and tail).↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗