ow ['au̇, 'ü] -interj

  1. used esp. to express sudden pain

OW -abbr

  1. one-way

owe [] -vb

  1. possess, own
  2. to have or bear (an emotion or attitude) to someone or something
    • owe s the boss a grudge
  3. to be under obligation to pay or repay in return for something received : be indebted in the sum of
    • owe s me 5
  4. to be under obligation to render (as duty or service)
    • I owe you a favor
  5. to be indebted to
    • owe s the grocer for supplies
  6. to be indebted for
    • owed his wealth to his father
    • owe s much to good luck
  7. to be in debt
    • owe s for his house
  8. to be attributable
    • an idea that owe s to Greek philosophy

owing -adj

  1. due to be paid
    • has bills owing

owing to -prep

  1. because of
    • absent owing to illness

owl ['au̇(-ə)l] -n

  1. any of an order (Strigiformes) of chiefly nocturnal birds of prey with a large head and eyes, short hooked bill, strong talons, and soft fluffy often brown-mottled plumage

owl·et ['au̇-lət] -n

  1. a small or young owl

owl·ish ['au̇-lish] -adj, adv, n

  1. resembling or suggesting an owl

owl monkey -n

  1. any of several small nocturnal monkeys (genus Aotus) of Central and So. American tropical forests that have round heads, large eyes, and densely furred bodies called also douroucouli

own ['ōn] -adj

  1. belonging to oneself or itself usu. used following a possessive case or possessive adjective
    • cooked my own dinner
  2. used to express immediate or direct kinship
    • an own son
    • an own sister
  3. to have or hold as property : possess
  4. to have power or mastery over
    • wanted to own his own life
  5. to acknowledge to be true, valid, or as claimed : admit
    • own a debt
  6. to acknowledge something to be true, valid, or as claimed used with to or up
  7. one or ones belonging to oneself used after a possessive and without a following noun
    • gave out books so that each of us had our own
    • a room of your own

own·er·ship ['ō-nər-,ship] -n

  1. the state, relation, or fact of being an owner
  2. a group or organization of owners