Ornithomancy Or·nith"o·man`cy noun [ Greek ...; ..., ..., a bird + ... divination: confer French
ornithomancie .]
Divination by means of birds, their flight, etc. Ornithomancy grew into an elaborate science.
De Quincey.
Ornithon Or·ni"thon noun [ Latin , from Greek ..., from ..., ..., a bird.]
An aviary; a poultry house. Weale.
Ornithopappi Or·ni`tho·pap"pi noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... a bird + ... an ancestor.]
(Zoology) An extinct order of birds. It includes only the Archæopteryx.
Ornithopoda Or`ni·thop"o·da noun plural [ New Latin See
Ornitho- , and
-poda .]
(Paleon.) An order of herbivorous dinosaurs with birdlike characteristics in the skeleton, esp. in the pelvis and hind legs, which in some genera had only three functional toes, and supported the body in walking as in Iguanodon. See Illust. in Appendix.
Ornithorhynchus Or`ni·tho·rhyn"chus noun [ New Latin , from Greek ..., ..., a bird + ... snout, beak.]
(Zoology) See Duck mole , under Duck .
Ornithosauria Or·ni`tho·sau"ri·a noun plural [ New Latin See
Ornitho- , and
Sauria .]
(Paleon.) An order of extinct flying reptiles; -- called also Pterosauria .
Ornithoscelida Or·ni`tho·scel"i·da noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ..., ..., a bird + ... a leg.]
(Zoology) A group of extinct Reptilia, intermediate in structure (especially with regard to the pelvis) between reptiles and birds. --
Or`ni*tho*scel"i*dan adjective
Ornithoscopy Or`ni·thos"co·py noun [
Ornitho- +
-scopy : confer Greek ... divination from birds.]
Observation of birds and their habits. [ R.]
De Quincey.
Ornithotomical Or`ni·tho·tom"ic·al adjective Of or pertaining to ornithotomy.
Ornithotomist Or`ni·thot"o·mist noun One who is skilled in ornithotomy.
Ornithotomy Or`ni·thot"o·my noun [ Greek ..., ..., a bird + ... to cut.]
The anatomy or dissection of birds.
Orograph Or"o·graph noun [ Greek ... mountain +
-graph .]
(Surveying) A machine for use in making topographical maps. It is operated by being pushed across country, and not only records distances, like the perambulator, but also elevations.
Orographic, Orographical Or`o·graph"ic, Or`o·graph"ic·al adjective Of or pertaining to orography.
Orography O·rog"ra·phy noun [ Greek
'o`ros , a mountain +
-graphy .]
That branch of science which treats of mountains and mountain systems; orology; as, the orography of Western Europe.
Oroheliograph Or`o·he"li·o·graph noun [ Greek ... mountain +
helio- +
-graph .]
(Photog.) A camera for obtaining a circular panoramic view of the horizon. The photographic plate is placed horizontally with a vertical lens above. A mirror of peculiar shape reflects light from the entire horizon to the lens, by means of which it is focused upon the plate.
Orohippus Or`o·hip"pus noun [ New Latin , from Greek
'o`ros , mountain (referring to the Rocky Mountain region) +
"i`ppos horse.]
(Paleon.) A genus of American Eocene mammals allied to the horse, but having four toes in front and three behind.
Oroide O"roide noun [ French
or gold (L.
aurum ) + Greek ... form.]
An alloy, chiefly of copper and zinc or tin, resembling gold in color and brilliancy. [ Written also
oreide .]
Orological Or`o·log"ic·al adjective [ Confer French
orologique .]
Of or pertaining to orology.
Orologist O·rol"o·gist noun One versed in orology.
Orology O·rol"o·gy noun [ Greek ... mountain +
-logy : confer French
orologie .]
The science or description of mountains.
Orometer O·rom"e·ter noun [ Greek ... mountain +
-meter .]
(Meteor.) An aneroid barometer having a second scale that gives the approximate elevation above sea level of the place where the observation is made.
Orotund O"ro·tund` adjective [ Latin
os ,
oris , the mouth +
rotundus round, smooth.]
Characterized by fullness, clearness, strength, and smoothness; ringing and musical; -- said of the voice or manner of utterance. --
noun The orotund voice or utterance Rush.
Orotundity O`ro·tun"di·ty noun The orotund mode of intonation.
Orphaline Or"pha·line noun See Orpheline . [ Obsolete]
Orphan Or"phan noun [ Latin
orphanus , Greek ..., akin to Latin
orbus . Confer
Orb a blank window.]
A child bereaved of both father and mother; sometimes, also, a child who has but one parent living. Orphans' court (Law) ,
a court in some of the States of the Union, having jurisdiction over the estates and persons of orphans or other wards. Bouvier.
Orphan Or"phan adjective Bereaved of parents, or (sometimes) of one parent.
Orphan Or"phan transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Orphaned ;
present participle & verbal noun Orphaning .]
To cause to become an orphan; to deprive of parents. Young.
Orphanage Or"phan·age noun 1. The state of being an orphan; orphanhood; orphans, collectively. 2. An institution or asylum for the care of orphans.
Orphancy Or"phan·cy noun Orphanhood. Sir P. Sidney.
Orphanet Or"phan·et noun A little orphan. Drayton.
Orphanhood Or"phan·hood noun The state or condition of being an orphan; orphanage.
Orphanism Or"phan·ism noun Orphanhood. [ R.]
Orphanotrophism Or`phan·ot"ro·phism noun The care and support of orphans. [ R.]
Cotton Mather (1711).
Orphanotrophy Or`phan·ot"ro·phy noun [ Latin
orphanotrophium , Greek ...; ... an orphan + ... to feed, bring up.]
1. A hospital for orphans. [ R.]
A. Chalmers. 2. The act of supporting orphans. [ R.]
Orpharion Or·pha"ri·on noun (Mus.) An old instrument of the lute or cittern kind. [ Spelt also
orpheoreon .]
Orphean Or·phe"an adjective [ Latin
Orph ...
us , Greek ....]
Of or pertaining to Orpheus, the mythic poet and musician; as, Orphean strains. Cowper.
Orpheline Or"phe·line noun [ French
orphelin . See
Orphan .]
An orphan. [ Obsolete]
Udcll.
Orpheus Or"phe·us noun [ Latin
Orpheus , Greek ....]
(Gr. Myth.) The famous mythic Thracian poet, son of the Muse Calliope, and husband of Eurydice. He is reputed to have had power to entrance beasts and inanimate objects by the music of his lyre.
Orphic Or"phic adjective [ Latin
Orphicus , Greek ....]
Pertaining to Orpheus; Orphean; as, Orphic hymns.
Orphrey Or"phrey noun [ See
Orfrays .]
A band of rich embroidery, wholly or in part of gold, affixed to vestments, especially those of ecclesiastics. Pugin.
Orpiment Or"pi·ment noun [ French, from Latin
auripigmentum ;
aurum gold +
pigmentum pigment. Confer
Aureate ,
Pigment ,
Orpin ,
Orpine .]
(Chemistry) Arsenic sesquisulphide, produced artificially as an amorphous lemonyellow powder, and occurring naturally as a yellow crystalline mineral; -- formerly called auripigment . It is used in king's yellow, in white Indian fire, and in certain technical processes, as indigo printing. Our orpiment and sublimed mercurie.
Chaucer. Red orpiment ,
realgar; the red sulphide of arsenic. --
Yellow orpiment ,
king's yellow.
Orpin Or"pin noun [ French, orpiment, also, the plant orpine. See
Orpiment .]
1. A yellow pigment of various degrees of intensity, approaching also to red. 2. (Botany) The orpine.
Orpine Or"pine noun [ French
orpin the genus of plants which includes orpine; -- so called from the yellow blossoms of a common species (
Sedum acre ). See
Orpiment .]
(Botany) A low plant with fleshy leaves ( Sedum telephium ), having clusters of purple flowers. It is found on dry, sandy places, and on old walls, in England, and has become naturalized in America. Called also stonecrop , and live-forever . [ Written also
orpin .]
Orrach Or"rach noun See Orach .
Orrery Or"re·ry noun ;
plural Orreries . [ So named in honor of the Earl of
Orrery .]
An apparatus which illustrates, by the revolution of balls moved by wheelwork, the relative size, periodic motions, positions, orbits, etc., of bodies in the solar system.
Orris Or"ris noun [ Prob. corrupted from Italian
ireos iris. See
Iris .]
(Botany) A plant of the genus Iris ( I. Florentina ); a kind of flower-de- luce. Its rootstock has an odor resembling that of violets. Orris pea (Medicine) ,
an issue pea made from orris root. --
Orris root ,
the fragrant rootstock of the orris.
Orris Or"ris noun 1. [ Contr. from
orfrays , or from
arras .]
A sort of gold or silver lace. Johnson. 2. A peculiar pattern in which gold lace or silver lace is worked; especially, one in which the edges are ornamented with conical figures placed at equal distances, with spots between them.
Orsedew, Orsedue Orse"dew, Or"se·due noun Leaf metal of bronze; Dutch metal. See under Dutch .
Orseille Or`seille" noun [ French]
See Archil .
Orsellic Or·sel"lic adjective [ From French
orseille archil. See
Archil .]
(Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid found in certain lichens, and called also lecanoric acid . [ Formerly written also
orseillic .]