olal·lie·ber·ry ['ō-lə-lē-,ber-ē] -n

  1. a blackish berry that is a hybrid of a loganberry and youngberry, resembles an elongated blackberry, and is grown chiefly along the western U.S. coast

old ['ōld; for sense 9 usu 'ōl] -adj

  1. dating from the remote past : ancient
    • old traditions
  2. persisting from an earlier time
    • an old ailment
    • they brought up the same old argument
  3. of long standing
    • an old friend
  4. distinguished from an object of the same kind by being of an earlier date
    • many still used the old name
  5. belonging to an early period in the development of a language or literature
    • Old Persian
  6. having existed for a specified period of time
    • a child three years old
  7. of, relating to, or originating in a past era
    • old chronicles record the event
  8. advanced in years or age
    • an old person
  9. showing the characteristics of age
    • looked old at 20
  10. experienced
    • an old trooper speaking of the last war
  11. former
    • his old students
  12. showing the effects of time or use : worn, aged
    • old shoes
  13. no longer in use : discarded
    • old rags
  14. of a grayish or dusty color
    • old mauve
  15. tiresome
    • gets old fast
  16. long familiar
    • same old story
    • good old Joe
  17. used as an intensive
    • a high old time
  18. used to express an attitude of affection or amusement
    • a big old dog
    • flex the old biceps
    • any old time
  19. one of a specified age usu. used in combination
    • a 3-year- old
  20. old or earlier time used in the phrase of old
    • the cavalry of old

old boy -n

  1. an alumnus esp. of a boys' school
  2. a man who is a member of a long-standing and usu. influential clique esp. in a professional, business, or social sphere

Old Bulgarian -n

  1. old church slavic

Old Catholic -n

  1. a member of one of various hierarchical and liturgical churches separating from the Roman Catholic Church at various times since the 18th century

Old Christmas -n

  1. epiphany

Old Church Slavic -n

  1. the Slavic language used in the liturgical and Biblical translations of Cyril and Methodius as attested in manuscripts of the 10th and 11th centuries called also Old Church Slavonic

old country -n

  1. an emigrant's country of origin
  2. one in Europe usu. used with the

old·en ['ōl-dən] -adj

  1. of or relating to a bygone era

Old English -n

  1. the language of the English people from the time of the earliest documents in the seventh century to about 1100
  2. English of any period before Modern English
  3. black letter

Old English sheepdog -n

  1. any of a breed of tailless dogs developed in England and having a profuse blue-gray and white coat

old·fan·gled ['ōl(d)-'faŋ-gəld] -adj

  1. old-fashioned

oldfash·ioned [-'fa-shənd] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a past era
    • wears an oldfashioned black bow tie -- Green Peyton
  2. adhering to customs of a past era
  3. outmoded

oldfashioned -n

  1. a cocktail usu. made with whiskey, bitters, sugar, a twist of lemon peel, and a small amount of water or soda

Old French -n

  1. the French language from the 9th to the 16th century
  2. French from the 9th to the 13th century

Old Glory -n

  1. the flag of the U.S.

old gold -n

  1. a dark yellow

oldgrowth ['ōl(d)-'grōth] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or being a forest characterized by the presence of large old trees, numerous snags and woody debris, and a multilayered canopy and that is usu. in a late stage of ecological succession

old guard -n

  1. the conservative and esp. older members of an organization (as a political party)
  2. a group of established prestige and influence

old hand -n

  1. hand

old hat -adj

  1. old-fashioned
  2. lacking in freshness : trite

Old High German -n

  1. High German exemplified in documents prior to ca. 1150

old·ie ['ōl-dē] -n

  1. one that is old
  2. a popular song of an earlier day

Old Ionic -n

  1. the Greek dialect of the Homeric epics

Old Iranian -n

  1. any Iranian language in use in the period b.c.

Old Irish -n

  1. the Irish in use from the seventh century to about 950

old·ish ['ōl-dish] -adj

  1. somewhat old or elderly

old lady -n

  1. wife
  2. mother
  3. girlfriend
  4. one with whom a man cohabits

Old Latin -n

  1. Latin used in the early inscriptions and in literature prior to the classical period

oldline ['ōl(d)-'līn] -adj

  1. having a reputation or authority based on length or proven quality of service
    • an oldline firm
  2. of established prestige and influence
    • oldline families
  3. adhering to traditional policies or practices : conservative

old maid ['ōl(d)-'mā-dish] -n, adj

  1. spinster
  2. a prim fussy person
    • he was a real old maid about burning rubbish -- R. C. Ruark
  3. a simple card game in which cards are matched in pairs and the player holding the unmatched card at the end loses

old man -n

  1. husband
  2. father
  3. one in authority
  4. commanding officer
  5. boyfriend
  6. one with whom a woman cohabits

oldman's beard ['ōl(d)-'manz-] -n

  1. any of several clematises (esp. Clematis vitalba) having plumose styles
  2. a greenish-gray pendulous lichen ( Usnea barbata) growing on trees

old master -n

  1. a work of art by an established master and esp. by any of the distinguished painters of the 16th, 17th, or early 18th century
  2. such an artist

Old Nick ['ōl(d)-'nik] -n

  1. used as a name of the devil

Old Norse -n

  1. the North Germanic language of the Scandinavian peoples prior to about 1350

Old Occitan -n

  1. the Occitan language as attested in documents from about 1100 to 1500

Old Persian -n

  1. an ancient Iranian language known from cuneiform inscriptions from the sixth and fifth centuries b.c.

Old Prussian -n

  1. a Baltic language used in East Prussia until the 17th century

old rose -n

  1. a variable color averaging a grayish red

Old Saxon -n

  1. the language of the Saxons of northwest Germany until about the 12th century

oldschool -adj

  1. adhering to traditional policies or practices
    • an oldschool coach
  2. characteristic or evocative of an earlier or original style, manner, or form
    • oldschool music

old school -n

  1. adherents of traditional policies and practices

old school tie -n

  1. an attitude of conservatism, aplomb, and upper-class solidarity associated with English public school graduates
  2. a necktie displaying the colors of an English public school
  3. clannishness among members of an established clique

oldshoe ['ōl(d)-'shü] -adj

  1. characterized by familiarity or freedom from restraint : comfortable, unpretentious

old sledge -n

  1. seven-up

oldsquaw ['ōl(d)-'skwȯ] -n

  1. a common sea duck ( Clangula hyemalis) of the more northern parts of the northern hemisphere called also long-tailed duck

old·ster ['ōl(d)-stər] -n

  1. an old or elderly person

old style -n

  1. a style of reckoning time used before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar
  2. a style of type distinguished by graceful irregularity among individual letters, bracketed serifs, and but slight contrast between light and heavy strokes

Old Style -adj

  1. using or according to the Julian calendar

Old Swedish -n

  1. the Swedish language as exemplified in documents prior to about 1350

Old Testament -n

  1. the first part of the Christian Bible containing the books of the Jewish canon of Scripture

oldtime ['ōl(d)-'tīm] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier period
    • oldtime songs
  2. of long standing
    • oldtime residents

oldtim·er [-'tī-mər, -,tī-mər] -n

  1. veteran
  2. oldster
  3. something that is old-fashioned : antique

oldtimey ['ōl(d)-'tī-mē] -adj

  1. of a kind or style prevalent in or reminiscent of an earlier time
    • oldtimey music

Old Welsh -n

  1. the Welsh language exemplified in documents prior to about 1150

old·wife ['ōl(d)-,wīf] -n

  1. any of several marine fishes (as an alewife, menhaden, or triggerfish)
  2. old-squaw

old wives' tale -n

  1. an often traditional belief that is not based on fact : superstition

oldworld ['ōl(d)-'wər(-ə)ld] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Old World
  2. having the charm or picturesque qualities of the Old World
    • narrow oldworld streets

Old World -n

  1. the eastern hemisphere exclusive of Australia
  2. the continent of Europe

ole ['ōl] -adj

  1. old

ole- -comb form

  1. oil
    • oleo graph

ole [ō-'lā] -n

  1. bravo

ole·ag·i·nous [,ō-lē-'a-jə-nəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. resembling or having the properties of oil : oily
  2. containing or producing oil
  3. marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality

ole·an·der ['ō-lē-,an-dər, ,ō-lē-'] -n

  1. a poisonous evergreen shrub ( Nerium oleander) of the dogbane family with clusters of fragrant white to red flowers

ole·an·do·my·cin [,ō-lē-,an-də-'mī-sᵊn] -n

  1. an antibiotic C 35H 61NO 12produced by a streptomyces ( Streptomyces antibioticus)

ole·as·ter ['ō-lē-,as-tər, ,ō-lē-'] -n

  1. any of several plants (genus Elaeagnusof the family Elaeagnaceae, the oleaster family) having alternate leaves and small often fragrant flowers with four stamens
  2. russian olive

ole·ate ['ō-lē-,āt] -n

  1. a salt or ester of oleic acid

olec·ra·non [ō-'le-krə-,nän] -n

  1. the process of the ulna projecting behind the elbow joint

ole·fin ['ō-lə-fən] -n, adj

  1. alkene
  2. a synthetic fiber (as polypropylene) derived from an alkene

oleic acid [ō-'lē-ik-, -'lā-] -n

  1. a monounsaturated fatty acid C 18H 34O 2obtained from natural fats and oils

ole·in ['ō-lē-ən] -n

  1. an ester of glycerol and oleic acid
  2. the liquid portion of a fat

oleo ['ō-lē-,ō] -n

  1. margarine

oleo·graph ['ō-lē-ə-,graf] -n

  1. a chromolithograph printed on cloth to imitate an oil painting

oleo·mar·ga·rine [,ō-lē-ō-'mär-jə-rən, -,rēn; -'märj-rən] -n

  1. margarine

oleo·res·in [,ō-lē-ō-'re-zᵊn] -n, adj

  1. a natural plant product (as copaiba) containing chiefly essential oil and resin
  2. turpentine
  3. a preparation consisting essentially of oil holding resin in solution

oles·tra [ō-'les-trə] -n

  1. a noncaloric fat substitute consisting of a series of compounds that are sucrose esters of six to eight fatty acids resistant to absorption by the digestive system because of their large size

ole·um ['ō-lē-əm] -n

  1. oil
  2. a heavy oily strongly corrosive solution of sulfur trioxide in anhydrous sulfuric acid

ol·fac·tion [äl-'fak-shən, ōl-] -n

  1. the sense of smell
  2. the act or process of smelling

ol·fac·tom·e·ter [,äl-,fak-'tä-mə-tər, ,ōl-] -n

  1. an instrument for measuring the sensitivity of the sense of smell esp. in regard to intensity, concentration, or quality of an odor

ol·fac·to·ry [äl-'fak-t(ə-)rē, ōl-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to the sense of smell

olfactory bulb -n

  1. a bulbous anterior projection of the olfactory lobe that is the place of termination of the olfactory nerves and is esp. well developed in lower vertebrates (as fishes)

olfactory lobe -n

  1. an anterior projection of each cerebral hemisphere that is continuous anteriorly with the olfactory nerve

olfactory nerve -n

  1. either of the pair of nerves that are the first cranial nerves and that arise in the olfactory neurosensory cells of the nasal mucous membrane and pass to the anterior part of the cerebrum

olig- -comb form

  1. few
    • oligo phagous

ol·i·garch ['ä-lə-,gärk, 'ō-] -n

  1. a member or supporter of an oligarchy

ol·i·gar·chic [,ä-lə-'gär-kik, ,ō-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or based on an oligarchy

ol·i·gar·chy ['ä-lə-,gär-kē, 'ō-] -n

  1. government by the few
  2. a government in which a small group exercises control esp. for corrupt and selfish purposes
  3. a group exercising such control
  4. an organization under oligarchic control

Ol·i·go·cene ['ä-li-gō-,sēn, 'ō-; ə-'li-gə-] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or being an epoch of the Tertiary between the Eocene and Miocene or the corresponding series of rocks

ol·i·go·chaete [-,kēt] -n, adj

  1. any of a class or order (Oligochaeta) of hermaphroditic terrestrial or aquatic annelids (as an earthworm) that lack a specialized head

ol·i·go·clase ['ä-li-gō-,klās, 'ō-, -,klāz; ə-'li-gə-] -n

  1. a mineral of the plagioclase series

ol·i·go·den·dro·cyte ['ä-li-gō-'den-drə-,sīt, 'ō-; ə-,li-gə-] -n

  1. a glial cell resembling an astrocyte but smaller with few and slender processes having few branches

ol·i·go·den·drog·lia [-den-'drä-glē-ə, -'drȯ-] -n, adj

  1. glia made up of oligodendrocytes that forms the myelin sheath around axons in the central nervous system

olig·o·mer [ə-'li-gə-mər] -n, adj

  1. a polymer or polymer intermediate containing relatively few structural units

ol·i·go·nu·cle·o·tide [-'nü-klē-ə-,tīd, -'nyü-] -n

  1. a short nucleic-acid chain usu. consisting of up to approximately 20 nucleotides

ol·i·goph·a·gous [,ä-lə-'gä-fə-gəs, ,ō-] -adj, n

  1. eating only a few specific kinds of food

ol·i·gop·o·ly [-'gä-pə-lē] -n, adj

  1. a market situation in which each of a few producers affects but does not control the market

ol·i·gop·so·ny [-'gäp-sə-nē] -n, adj

  1. a market situation in which each of a few buyers exerts a disproportionate influence on the market

ol·i·go·sac·cha·ride [,ä-li-gō-'sa-kə-,rīd, ,ō-; ə-'li-gə-] -n

  1. a saccharide (as a disaccharide) that contains a known small number of monosaccharide units

ol·i·go·tro·phic [-'trō-fik] -adj

  1. having a deficiency of plant nutrients that is usu. accompanied by an abundance of dissolved oxygen
    • clear oligotrophic lakes

olio ['ō-lē-,ō] -n

  1. olla podrida
  2. a miscellaneous mixture : hodgepodge
  3. a miscellaneous collection (as of literary or musical selections)

ol·i·va·ceous [,ä-lə-'vā-shəs] -adj

  1. olive

ol·ive ['ä-liv, -ləv] -n

  1. a Mediterranean evergreen tree ( Olea europaeaof the family Oleaceae, the olive family) cultivated for its drupaceous fruit that is an important food and source of oil
  2. the fruit
  3. any of various shrubs and trees resembling the olive
  4. any of several colors resembling that of the unripe fruit of the olive tree that are yellowish green
  5. an oval eminence on each ventrolateral aspect of the medulla oblongata

olive -adj

  1. of the color olive or olive green
  2. approaching olive in color or complexion

olive branch -n

  1. a branch of the olive tree esp. when used as a symbol of peace
  2. an offer or gesture of conciliation or goodwill

olive drab -n

  1. a grayish olive
  2. a wool or cotton fabric of an olive drab color
  3. a uniform of this fabric

olive green -n

  1. a greenish olive

olive oil -n

  1. a pale yellow to yellowish-green nondrying oil obtained from olives and used chiefly as a salad oil and in cooking

Ol·i·ver ['ä-lə-vər] -n

  1. the close friend of Roland in the Charlemagne legends

olive ridley -n

  1. a relatively small sea turtle ( Lepidochelys olivacea) that has a uniformly olive-colored carapace and is found along coasts and in the open sea of the tropical parts of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans called also olive ridley turtle

ol·iv·ine ['ä-lə-,vēn] -n, adj

  1. a usu. greenish mineral that is a complex silicate of magnesium and iron used esp. in refractories

ol·la ['ä-lə, 'ȯi-ə] -n

  1. a large bulging widemouthed earthenware vessel sometimes with looped handles used (as by Pueblo Indians) for storage, cooking, or as a container for water

ol·la po·dri·da [-pə-'drē-də] -n

  1. a rich highly seasoned stew of meat and vegetables usu. including sausage and chick-peas that is slowly simmered and is a traditional Spanish and Latin-American dish
  2. hodgepodge

ol·lie ['ä-lē] -n, vb

  1. a maneuver in skateboarding in which the skater kicks the tail of the board down while jumping in order to make the board pop into the air
  2. a maneuver in snowboarding in which the rider transfers weight from the front to the back foot to snap the board up off the ground

Ol·mec ['äl-,mek, 'ōl-] -n

  1. an ancient people of the southern east coast of Mexico who flourished about 1200 to 400 B.C.

olo·li·u·qui [,ō-,lō-lē-'ü-kē] -n

  1. a woody-stemmed Mexican vine ( Rivea corymbosasyn. Turbina corymbosa) of the morning glory family having small fleshy fruits with single seeds that are used esp. by the native Indians for medicinal, narcotic, and religious purposes

olo·ro·so [,ō-lə-'rō-(,)sō] -n

  1. a dry full-bodied Spanish sherry

olym·pi·ad [ə-'lim-pē-,ad, ō-] -n

  1. one of the 4-year intervals between Olympic Games by which time was reckoned in ancient Greece
  2. a quadrennial celebration of the modern Olympic Games
  3. a competition or series of competitions resembling an olympiad esp. in variety or challenge

Olym·pi·an [-pē-ən] -adj

  1. of or relating to Mount Olympus in Thessaly
  2. befitting or characteristic of an Olympian
  3. lofty
    • his...formula of glib simplicity and Olympian arrogance -- Richard Pollak

Olympian -adj

  1. of or relating to the ancient Greek region of Olympia
  2. of, relating to, or constituting the Olympic Games
  3. a participant in Olympic Games
  4. one of the ancient Greek deities dwelling on Olympus
  5. a being of lofty detachment or superior attainments

Olympian Games -n pl

  1. olympic games

Olym·pia oyster [ə-'lim-pē-ə-, ō-] -n

  1. a small flavorful native oyster ( Ostrea lurida) of the Puget Sound area of the Pacific coast of No. America called also Olympia

Olym·pic [ə-'lim-pik, ō-] -adj

  1. olympian
  2. of or relating to the Olympic Games

Olympic Games -n pl

  1. an ancient Panhellenic festival held every fourth year and made up of contests of sports, music, and literature with the victor's prize a crown of wild olive
  2. a modified revival of the ancient Olympic Games consisting of international athletic contests that are held at separate winter and summer gatherings at four year intervals called also Olympics

Olym·pus [ə-'lim-pəs, ō-] -n

  1. a mountain in Thessaly that in Greek mythology is the abode of the gods