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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Organometallic Or`ga·no·me·tal"lic adjective (Chemistry) Metalorganic.

Organon Or"ga·non Or"ga*num noun [ New Latin organon , Latin organum . See Organ .] An organ or instrument; hence, a method by which philosophical or scientific investigation may be conducted; -- a term adopted from the Aristotelian writers by Lord Bacon, as the title ("Novum Organon ") of part of his treatise on philosophical method. Sir. W. Hamilton.

Organonymy Or`ga·non"y·my noun [ Organo- + Greek ..., for ..., a name.] (Biol.) The designation or nomenclature of organs. B. G. Wilder.

Organophyly Or`ga·noph"y·ly noun [ Organo- + Greek ... clan.] (Biol.) The tribal history of organs, -- a branch of morphophyly. Haeckel.

Organoplastic Or`ga·no·plas"tic adjective [ Organo- + -plastic .] (Biol.) Having the property of producing the tissues or organs of animals and plants; as, the organoplastic cells.

Organoscopy Or`ga·nos"co·py noun [ Organo- + -scopy .] Phrenology. Fleming.

Organotrophic Or`ga·no·troph"ic adjective [ Organo- + Greek ... to nourish.] (Biol.) Relating to the creation, organization, and nutrition of living organs or parts.

Organule Or"gan·ule noun [ Dim. of organ .] (Anat.) One of the essential cells or elements of an organ. See Sense organule , under Sense . Huxley.

Organy Or"ga·ny noun [ Anglo-Saxon Organe , from the Latin. See Origan .] (Botany) See Origan .

Organzine Or"gan·zine noun [ French organsin ; confer Spanish organsino , Italian organzino .] A kind of double thrown silk of very fine texture, that is, silk twisted like a rope with different strands, so as to increase its strength.

Orgasm Or"gasm noun [ French orgasme ; confer Greek ... a kneading, softening, probably confused with ... to swell, espicially with lust; to feel an ardent desire.] (Physiol.) Eager or immoderate excitement or action; the state of turgescence of any organ; erethism; esp., the height of venereal excitement in sexual intercourse.

Orgeat Or"geat noun [ French, from orge barley, Latin hordeum .] A sirup in which, formerly, a decoction of barley entered, but which is now prepared with an emulsion of almonds, -- used to flavor beverages or edibles.

Orgeis Or"ge·is noun (Zoology) See Organling .

Orgiastic Or`gi·as"tic adjective [ Greek .... See Orgy .] Pertaining to, or of the nature of, orgies. Elton.

Orgies Or"gies noun plural ; sing. Orgy [ The singular is rarely used.] [ French orgie , orgies , Latin orgia , plural, Greek ...; akin to ... work. See Organ , and Work .]

1. A sacrifice accompanied by certain ceremonies in honor of some pagan deity; especially, the ceremonies observed by the Greeks and Romans in the worship of Dionysus, or Bacchus, which were characterized by wild and dissolute revelry.

As when, with crowned cups, unto the Elian god,
Those priests high orgies held.
Drayton.

2. Drunken revelry; a carouse. B. Jonson. Tennyson.

Orgillous Or"gil·lous adjective [ Old French orguillous , French orgueilleux , from Old French orgoil pride, French orgueil .] Proud; haughty. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Orgue Orgue noun [ French, from Latin organum organ, Greek .... See Organ .] (Mil.) (a) Any one of a number of long, thick pieces of timber, pointed and shod with iron, and suspended, each by a separate rope, over a gateway, to be let down in case of attack. (b) A piece of ordnance, consisting of a number of musket barrels arranged so that a match or train may connect with all their touchholes, and a discharge be secured almost or quite simultaneously.

Orgulous Or"gu·lous adjective See Orgillous . [ Obsolete]

Orgy Or"gy noun ; plural Orgies A frantic revel; drunken revelry. See Orgies

Orgyia Or·gy"i·a noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... the length of the outstretched arms. So named because, when at rest, it stretches forward its fore legs like arms.] (Zoology) . A genus of bombycid moths whose caterpillars (esp. those of Orgyia leucostigma ) are often very injurious to fruit trees and shade trees. The female is wingless. Called also vaporer moth .

Oricalche Or"i·calche noun [ Obsolete] See Orichalch .

Costly oricalche from strange Phœnice.
Spenser.

Orichalceous Or`i·chal"ce·ous adjective Pertaining to, or resembling, orichalch; having a color or luster like that of brass. Maunder.

Orichalch Or"i·chalch noun [ Latin orichalcum , Greek ...; 'o`ros , mountain + chalko`s brass: confer French orichalque .] A metallic substance, resembling gold in color, but inferior in value; a mixed metal of the ancients, resembling brass; -- called also aurichalcum , orichalcum , etc.

Oriel O"ri·el noun [ Old French oriol gallery, corridor, Late Latin oriolum portico, hall, probably from Latin aureolus gilded, applied to an apartment decorated with gilding. See Oriole .] [ Formerly written also oriol , oryal , oryall .]

1. A gallery for minstrels. [ Obsolete] W. Hamper.

2. A small apartment next a hall, where certain persons were accustomed to dine; a sort of recess. [ Obsolete] Cowell.

3. (Architecture) A bay window. See Bay window .

The beams that thro' the oriel shine
Make prisms in every carven glass.
Tennyson.

» There is no generally admitted difference between a bay window and an oriel. In the United States the latter name is often applied to bay windows which are small, and either polygonal or round; also, to such as are corbeled out from the wall instead of resting on the ground.

Oriency O"ri·en·cy noun [ See Orient .] Brightness or strength of color. [ R.] E. Waterhouse.

Orient O"ri·ent adjective [ French, from Latin oriens , -entis , present participle of oriri to rise. See Origin .] 1. Rising, as the sun.

Moon, that now meet'st the orient sun.
Milton.

2. Eastern; oriental. "The orient part." Hakluyt.

3. Bright; lustrous; superior; pure; perfect; pellucid; -- used of gems and also figuratively, because the most perfect jewels are found in the East. "Pearls round and orient ." Jer. Taylor. " Orient gems." Wordsworth. " Orient liquor in a crystal glass." Milton.

Orient O"ri·ent noun 1. The part of the horizon where the sun first appears in the morning; the east.

[ Morn] came furrowing all the orient into gold.
Tennyson.

2. The countries of Asia or the East. Chaucer.

Best built city throughout the Orient .
Sir T. Herbert.

3. A pearl of great luster. [ R.] Carlyle.

Orient O"ri·ent transitive verb [ French orienter . Confer Orientate .]

1. To define the position of, in relation to the orient or east; hence, to ascertain the bearings of.

2. Fig.: To correct or set right by recurring to first principles; to arrange in order; to orientate.

Orient O"ri·ent transitive verb 1. Same as Orientate , 2.

2. To place (a map or chart) so that its east side, north side, etc., lie toward the corresponding parts of the horizon; specif. (Surv.) , to rotate (a map attached to a plane table) until the line of direction between any two of its points is parallel to the corresponding direction in nature.

Oriental O`ri·en"tal adjective [ Latin orientalis : confer French oriental .] Of or pertaining to the orient or east; eastern; concerned with the East or Orientalism; -- opposed to occidental ; as, Oriental countries.

The sun's ascendant and oriental radiations.
Sir T. Browne.

Oriental O`ri·en"tal noun 1. A native or inhabitant of the Orient or some Eastern part of the world; an Asiatic.

2. plural (Eccl.) Eastern Christians of the Greek rite.

Orientalism O`ri·en"tal·ism noun [ Confer French orientalisme .]

1. Any system, doctrine, custom, expression, etc., peculiar to Oriental people.

2. Knowledge or use of Oriental languages, history, literature, etc. London Quart. Rev.

Orientalist O`ri·en"tal·ist noun [ Confer French orientaliste .]

1. An inhabitant of the Eastern parts of the world; an Oriental.

2. One versed in Eastern languages, literature, etc.; as, the Paris Congress of Orientalists . Sir J. Shore.

Orientality O`ri·en·tal"i·ty noun The quality or state of being oriental or eastern. Sir T. Browne.

Orientalize O`ri·en"tal·ize transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Orientalized ; present participle & verbal noun Orientalizing .] to render Oriental; to cause to conform to Oriental manners or conditions.

Orientate O"ri·en·tate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Orientated ; present participle & verbal noun Orientating .] [ From Orient .]

1. To place or turn toward the east; to cause to assume an easterly direction, or to veer eastward.

2. To arrange in order; to dispose or place (a body) so as to show its relation to other bodies, or the relation of its parts among themselves.

A crystal is orientated when placed in its proper position so as to exhibit its symmetry.
E. S. Dana.

Orientate O"ri·en·tate intransitive verb To move or turn toward the east; to veer from the north or south toward the east.

Orientation O`ri·en·ta"tion noun [ Confer French orientation .]

1. The act or process of orientating; determination of the points of the compass, or the east point, in taking bearings.

2. The tendency of a revolving body, when suspended in a certain way, to bring the axis of rotation into parallelism with the earth's axis.

3. An aspect or fronting to the east; especially (Architecture) , the placing of a church so that the chancel, containing the altar toward which the congregation fronts in worship, will be on the east end.

4. Fig.: A return to first principles; an orderly arrangement.

The task of orientation undertaken in this chapter.
Latin F. Ward.

Orientness O"ri·ent·ness noun The quality or state of being orient or bright; splendor. [ Obsolete] Fuller.

Orifice Or"i·fice noun [ French, from Latin orificium ; os , oris , a mouth + facere to make. See Oral , and Fact .] A mouth or aperture, as of a tube, pipe, etc.; an opening; as, the orifice of an artery or vein; the orifice of a wound. Shak.

Etna was bored through the top with a monstrous orifice .
Addison.

Oriflamb, Oriflamme Or"i·flamb, Or"i·flamme noun [ French oriflamme , Old French oriflambe , Late Latin auriflamma ; Latin aurum gold + flamma flame; confer Latin flammula a little banner. So called because it was a flag of red silk, split into many points, and borne on a gilded lance.] 1. The ancient royal standard of France.

2. A standard or ensign, in battle. "A handkerchief like an oriflamb ." Longfellow.

And be your oriflamme to-day the helmet of Navarre.
Macaulay.

Origan Or"i·gan O*rig"a*num noun [ Latin origanum , Greek ..., ..., probably from 'o`ros , mountain + ... brightness, beauty. Confer Organy .] (Botany) A genus of aromatic labiate plants, including the sweet marjoram ( O. Marjorana ) and the wild marjoram ( O. vulgare ). Spenser.

Origenism Or"i·gen·ism noun (Eccl. Hist.) The opinions of Origen of Alexandria, who lived in the 3d century, one of the most learned of the Greek Fathers. Prominent in his teaching was the doctrine that all created beings, including Satan, will ultimately be saved.

Origenist Or"i·gen·ist noun A follower of Origen of Alexandria.

Origin Or"i·gin noun [ French origine , Latin origo , -iginis , from oriri to rise, become visible; akin to Greek 'orny`nai to stir up, rouse, Sanskrit r , and perhaps to English run .]

1. The first existence or beginning of anything; the birth.

This mixed system of opinion and sentiment had its origin in the ancient chivalry.
Burke.

2. That from which anything primarily proceeds; the fountain; the spring; the cause; the occasion.

3. (Anat.) The point of attachment or end of a muscle which is fixed during contraction; -- in contradistinction to insertion .

Origin of coördinate axes (Math.) , the point where the axes intersect. See Note under Ordinate .

Syn. -- Commencement; rise; source; spring; fountain; derivation; cause; root; foundation. -- Origin , Source . Origin denotes the rise or commencement of a thing; source presents itself under the image of a fountain flowing forth in a continuous stream of influences. The origin of moral evil has been much disputed, but no one can doubt that it is the source of most of the calamities of our race.

I think he would have set out just as he did, with the origin of ideas -- the proper starting point of a grammarian, who is to treat of their signs.
Tooke.

Famous Greece,
That source of art and cultivated thought
Which they to Rome, and Romans hither, brought.
Waller.

Originable O·rig"i·na·ble adjective Capable of being originated.

Original O·rig"i·nal adjective [ French original , Latin originalis .]

1. Pertaining to the origin or beginning; preceding all others; first in order; primitive; primary; pristine; as, the original state of man; the original laws of a country; the original inventor of a process.

His form had yet not lost
All her original brightness.
Milton.

2. Not copied, imitated, or translated; new; fresh; genuine; as, an original thought; an original process; the original text of Scripture.

3. Having the power to suggest new thoughts or combinations of thought; inventive; as, an original genius.

4. Before unused or unknown; new; as, a book full of original matter.

Original sin (Theol.) , the first sin of Adam, as related to its consequences to his descendants of the human race; -- called also total depravity . See Calvinism .

Original O·rig"i·nal noun [ Confer French original .]

1. Origin; commencement; source.

It hath it original from much grief.
Shak.

And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
Addison.

2. That which precedes all others of its class; archetype; first copy; hence, an original work of art, manuscript, text, and the like, as distinguished from a copy, translation, etc.

The Scriptures may be now read in their own original .
Milton.

3. An original thinker or writer; an originator. [ R.]

Men who are bad at copying, yet are good originals .
C. G. Leland.

4. A person of marked eccentricity. [ Colloq.]

5. (Zoology & Bot.) The natural or wild species from which a domesticated or cultivated variety has been derived; as, the wolf is thought by some to be the original of the dog, the blackthorn the original of the plum.

Originalist O·rig"i·nal·ist noun One who is original. [ R.]

Originality O·rig`i·nal"i·ty noun [ Confer French originalité .] The quality or state of being original. Macaulay.

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