Oligarchist Ol"i·gar`chist noun An advocate or supporter of oligarchy.
Oligarchy Ol"i·gar"chy noun ;
plural Oligarchies . [ Greek ...; ... few, little + ... to rule, govern: confer French
oligarchie .]
A form of government in which the supreme power is placed in the hands of a few persons; also, those who form the ruling few. All oligarchies , wherein a few men domineer, do what they list.
Burton.
Oligist Ol"i·gist noun [ See
Oligist ,
adjective ]
(Min.) Hematite or specular iron ore; -- probably so called in allusion to its feeble magnetism, as compared with magnetite.
Oligist, Oligistic Ol"i·gist, Ol`i·gis"tic adjective [ Greek ..., superl. of ... few, little: confer French
oligiste .]
(Min.) Of or pertaining to hematite.
Oligo- Ol"i·go- A combining form from Greek ..., few , little , small .
Oligocene Ol"i·go·cene adjective [
Oligo- + Greek ... new, recent.]
(Geol.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, certain strata which occupy an intermediate position between the Eocene and Miocene periods. --
noun The Oligocene period. See the Chart of Geology .
Oligochete Ol"i·go·chete adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Oligochæta.
Oligochæta Ol`i·go·chæ"ta noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... little, plural, few + ... hair.]
(Zoology) An order of Annelida which includes the earthworms and related species.
Oligoclase Ol"i·go·clase noun [
Oligo- + Greek ... fracture, from ... to break.]
(Min.) A triclinic soda-lime feldspar. See Feldspar .
Oligomerous Ol`i·gom"er·ous adjective [
Oligo- + Greek ... part.]
(Botany) Having few members in each set of organs; as, an oligomerous flower.
Oligomyold Ol`i·go"my·old adjective [
Oligo- + Greek ..., ..., a muscle +
-oid .]
(Anat.) Having few or imperfect syringeal muscles; -- said of some passerine birds ( Oligomyodi ).
Oligopetalous Ol`i·go·pet"al·ous adjective [
Oligo- +
petal .]
(Botany) Having few petals.
Oligosepalous Ol`i·go·sep"al·ous adjective [
Oligo- +
sepal .]
(Botany) Having few sepals.
Oligosiderite Ol`i·go·sid"er·ite noun [
Oligo- +
siderite .]
(Min.) A meteorite characterized by the presence of but a small amount of metallic iron.
Oligospermous Ol`i·go·sper"mous adjective [
Oligo- + Greek ... a seed.]
(Botany) Having few seeds.
Oligotokous Ol`i·got"o·kous adjective [
Oligo- + Greek ... offspring.]
(Zoology) Producing few young.
Olio O"li·o noun [ Spanish
olla a round earthen pot, a dish of boiled or stewed meat, from Latin
olla a pot, dish. Confer
Olla ,
Olla-podrida .]
1. A dish of stewed meat of different kinds. [ Obsolete]
Besides a good olio , the dishes were trifling.
Evelyn. 2. A mixture; a medley. Dryden. 3. (Mus.) A collection of miscellaneous pieces.
Olitory Ol"i·to·ry adjective [ Latin
olitorius belonging to a kitchen gardener, or to vegetables, from
olitor a kitchen gardener, from
olus ,
oleris , vegetables.]
Of or pertaining to, or produced in, a kitchen garden; used for kitchen purposes; as, olitory seeds. At convenient distance towards the olitory garden.
Evelyn.
Oliva O·li"va noun [ Latin an olive.]
(Zoology) A genus of polished marine gastropod shells, chiefly tropical, and often beautifully colored.
Olivaceous Ol`i·va"ceous adjective [ Latin
oliva olive.]
Resembling the olive; of the color of the olive; olive- green.
Olivary Ol"i·va·ry adjective [ Latin
olivarius belonging to olives, from
oliva an olive: confer French
olivaire .]
(Anat.) Like an olive. Olivary body (Anat.) ,
an oval prominence on each side of the medulla oblongata; -- called also olive .
Olivaster Ol`i·vas"ter adjective [ Latin
oliva olive: confer French
olivâtre .]
Of the color of the olive; tawny. Sir T. Herbert.
Olive Ol"ive noun [ French, from Latin
oliva , akin to Greek .... See
Oil .]
1. (Botany) (a) A tree ( Olea Europæa ) with small oblong or elliptical leaves, axillary clusters of flowers, and oval, one-seeded drupes. The tree has been cultivated for its fruit for thousands of years, and its branches are the emblems of peace. The wood is yellowish brown and beautifully variegated. (b) The fruit of the olive. It has been much improved by cultivation, and is used for making pickles. Olive oil is pressed from its flesh. 2. (Zoology) (a) Any shell of the genus Oliva and allied genera; -- so called from the form. See Oliva . (b) The oyster catcher. [ Prov.Eng.]
3. (a) The color of the olive, a peculiar dark brownish, yellowish, or tawny green. (b) One of the tertiary colors, composed of violet and green mixed in equal strength and proportion. 4. (Anat.) An olivary body. See under Olivary . 5. (Cookery) A small slice of meat seasoned, rolled up, and cooked; as, olives of beef or veal. »
Olive is sometimes used adjectively and in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as,
olive brown,
olive green,
olive -colored,
olive -skinned,
olive crown,
olive garden,
olive tree,
olive yard, etc.
Bohemian olive (Botany) ,
a species of Elæagnus ( E. angustifolia ), the flowers of which are sometimes used in Southern Europe as a remedy for fevers. --
Olive branch .
(a) A branch of the olive tree, considered an emblem of peace .
(b) Fig.: A child. --
Olive brown ,
brown with a tinge of green. --
Olive green ,
a dark brownish green, like the color of the olive. --
Olive oil ,
an oil expressed from the ripe fruit of the olive, and much used as a salad oil, also in medicine and the arts. --
Olive ore (Min.) ,
olivenite. --
Wild olive (Botany) ,
a name given to the oleaster or wild stock of the olive; also variously to several trees more or less resembling the olive.
Olive Ol"ive adjective Approaching the color of the olive; of a peculiar dark brownish, yellowish, or tawny green.
Olived Ol"ived adjective Decorated or furnished with olive trees. [ R.]
T. Warton.
Olivenite O·liv"en·ite noun (Min.) An olive-green mineral, a hydrous arseniate of copper; olive ore.
Oliver Ol"i·ver noun 1. [ Old French
oliviere .]
An olive grove. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer. 2. [ French
olivier .]
An olive tree. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Oliver Ol"i·ver noun A small tilt hammer, worked by the foot.
Oliverian Ol`i·ve"ri·an noun (Eng. Hist.) An adherent of Oliver Cromwell. Macaulay.
Olivewood Ol`ive·wood" noun (Botany) (a) The wood of the olive. (b) An Australian name given to the hard white wood of certain trees of the genus Elæodendron , and also to the trees themselves.
Olivil Ol`i·vil noun [ Confer French
olivile .]
(Chemistry) A white crystalline substance, obtained from an exudation from the olive, and having a bitter-sweet taste and acid proporties. [ Written also
olivile .]
Gregory.
Olivin Ol"i·vin noun (Chemistry) A complex bitter gum, found on the leaves of the olive tree; -- called also olivite .
Olivine Ol"i·vine noun [ Confer French
olivine .]
(Min.) A common name of the yellowish green mineral chrysolite, esp. the variety found in eruptive rocks.
Olivite Ol"i·vite noun (Chemistry) See Olivin .
Olla Ol"la noun [ See
Olio .]
1. A pot or jar having a wide mouth; a cinerary urn, especially one of baked clay. 2. A dish of stewed meat; an olio; an olla- podrida.
Olla-podrida Ol`la-po·dri"da noun [ Spanish , lit., a rotten pot. See
Olio .]
1. A favorite Spanish dish, consisting of a mixture of several kinds of meat chopped fine, and stewed with vegetables. 2. Any incongruous mixture or miscellaneous collection; an olio. B. Jonson.
Ology Ol"o·gy noun [ See
-logy .]
A colloquial or humorous name for any science or branch of knowledge. He had a smattering of mechanics, of physiology, geology, mineralogy, and all other ologies whatsoever.
De Quincey.
Olpe Ol"pe noun [ New Latin , from Greek ....]
Originally, a leather flask or vessel for oils or liquids; afterward, an earthenware vase or pitcher without a spout.
Olusatrum O·lu"sa·trum noun [ Latin
holusatrum ,
olusatrum ;
olus garden herb +
ater black.]
(Botany) An umbelliferous plant, the common Alexanders of Western Europe ( Smyrnium Olusatrum ).
Olympiad O·lym"pi·ad (o*lĭm"pĭ*ăd)
noun [ Latin
olympias ,
-adis , Greek
'olympia`s ,
-a`dos , from
'O`lympos Olympus, a mountain in Macedonia: confer French
olympiade .]
(Greek Antiq.) A period of four years, by which the ancient Greeks reckoned time, being the interval from one celebration of the Olympic games to another, beginning with the victory of Corœbus in the foot race, which took place in the year 776 b.c.; as, the era of the olympiads .
Olympiad O·lym"pi·ad noun The quadrennial celebration of the modern Olympic games; as, the first Olympiad (1906).
Olympian O·lym"pi·an (-
a n),
O*lym"pic (- pĭk)
adjective [ Latin
Olympius ,
Olympicus , Greek
'Oly`mpios ,
'Olympiko`s , from
'O`lympos : confer French
olympique . See
Olympiad .]
Of or pertaining to Olympus, a mountain of Thessaly, fabled as the seat of the gods, or to Olympia, a small plain in Elis. Olympic games , or
Olympics (Greek Antiq.) ,
the greatest of the national festivals of the ancient Greeks, consisting of athletic games and races, dedicated to Olympian Zeus, celebrated once in four years at Olympia, and continuing five days.
Olympianism O·lym"pi·an·ism noun Worship of the Olympian gods, esp. as a dominant cult or religion.
Olympic, Olympian O·lym"pic, O·lym"pi·an games A modified revival of the ancient Olympian games, consisting of international athletic games, races, etc., now held once in four years, the first having been at Athens in 1896.
Olympionic O·lym`pi·on"ic noun [ Greek ... a conqueror in the Olympic games.]
An ode in honor of a victor in the Olympic games. [ R.]
Johnson.
Om Om interj. & noun [ Also
Aum ,
Um .] [ Sanskrit
ōm .]
A mystic syllable or ejaculation used by Hindus and Buddhists in religious rites, -- orig. among the Hindus an exclamation of assent, like Amen , then an invocation, and later a symbol of the trinity formed by Vishnu, Siva, and Brahma. --
Om mani padme hun ,
a sacred formula of buddhism (esp. of the Lamaists) translated "O, the Jewel in the Lotus, Amen," and referring to Amitabha, who is commonly represented as standing or sitting within a lotus.
Omagra Om"a·gra noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... shoulder + ... seizure.]
(Medicine) Gout in the shoulder.
Omahas O"ma·has" noun plural ; sing.
Omaha (Ethnol.) A tribe of Indians who inhabited the south side of the Missouri River. They are now partly civilized and occupy a reservation in Nebraska.
Omander wood O·man"der wood` [ Etymol. uncertain.] (Botany) The wood of Diospyros ebenaster , a kind of ebony found in Ceylon.
Omasum O·ma"sum noun [ Latin ]
(Anat.) The third division of the stomach of ruminants. See Manyplies , and Illust. under Ruminant .