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CULTURAL NOTE Oxford and Cambridge are the two oldest and most respected universities in the UK. They are considered to give a very high standard of education, and students need very good examination results if they want to study at these universities. Oxbridge GRADUATES often become powerful and successful members of British society, and many of the leading people in professions such as the law, politics, and the Civil Service have traditionally been 'Oxbridge-educated', though this is beginning to change. Oxbridge is sometimes criticized for the fact that about half its students come from PUBLIC SCHOOLS (=expensive private schools), even though most British children do not attend these schools. Some people also think of Oxbridge colleges as too old-fashioned; traditional, and ELITIST (=considering themselves as very special and as more important than ordinary universities). They believe that these institutions do not really understand how ordinary people think and live. → see also Cultural Note at IVY LEAGUE
ox·cart /'ɒkskɑːt||'ɑːkskɑːrt/ n a cart pulled by oxen
Oxfam, OXFAM /'ɒksfæm||'ɑːks-/ one of the best-known CHARITY organizations in the UK, whose aim is to help people in poorer countries, for example by providing training in farming methods or operating educational programmes, and also by providing medicine at times of serious shortage. Oxfam gets some of its money by selling goods in its own shops all over the UK, which are known as Oxfam shops. These shops are especially known for selling used clothes, books etc, but they also sell new products, such as CHRISTMAS CARDS and useful or decorative articles produced in the countries where Oxfam works: He always looks as if he buys his clothes from Oxfam.
Ox·ford /'ɒksfəd||'ɑːksfərd/ 1 a city on the Rivers Thames and Cherwell in Oxfordshire, southern England. It has many beautiful old buildings and is famous for its university 2 Oxford University one of the two oldest and most respected universities in the UK, established in the 13th century. The university is made up of about 35 separate colleges, where the students live and also receive some of their teaching: A lot of well-known politicians went to Oxford. (=were students there) | an Oxford graduate → see also CAMBRIDGE², OXBRIDGE, OXON
,Oxford 'Circus the place in central London where REGENT STREET and OXFORD STREET cross, and also the name of the UNDERGROUND station there. It is one of the busiest places in London, and is always full of people going shopping.
,Oxford 'English n [U] old-fash another name for the type of pronunciation of BRITISH ENGLISH that is regarded as a standard. This type of pronunciation is sometimes called 'BBC English', but its correct name is 'RP' (=received pronunciation').
,Oxford ,English 'Dictionary, the abbrev. OED a very large dictionary of English, started in the 1880s, which is known for its completeness and for its explanations of the origins of words and their history. It is available either as a book in several large VOLUMES, or as a CD-ROM.
'Oxford ,Movement, the a religious movement within the CHURCH OF ENGLAND started in 1833 by Cardinal NEWMAN and other religious leaders at Oxford University. It tried to bring some of the practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church back into the Church of England, and this led to the development of the HIGH CHURCH and ANGLO-CATHOLICS.
Ox·fords /'ɒksfədz||'ɑːksfərdz/ n [P] especially AmE men's leather shoes that are tied with SHOELACES → compare LOAFER
Ox·ford·shire /'ɒksfədʃə||'ɑːksfərd-/ written abbrev. Oxon a COUNTY in south central England, in and around the THAMES VALLEY. It is mainly farmland, with some old towns and pretty villages.
'Oxford Street one of the main streets of central London, famous for its shops and for being very busy
ox·ide /'ɒksaɪd||'ɑːk-/ n [C;U] a chemical compound in which something else is combined with oxygen: iron oxide
ox·i·dize also -dise BrE /'ɒksɪdaɪz||'ɑːk-/ v [I;T] to (cause to) combine with oxygen, especially in such a way as to make or become RUSTY —dization /ˌɒksɪdaɪ'zeɪʃn||ˌɑːksɪdə-/ also oxidation /ˌɒksɪ'deʃn||ˌɑːk-/ n [U]
Ox·o /'ɒksəʊ||'ɑːk-/ trademark abbrev. for a type of STOCK CUBE, a small square piece of solid substance made of dried meat juices which is sold in the UK. Oxo cubes are mixed with boiling water and used to improve the taste of soup, GRAVY, and other foods.
Ox·on /'ɒksən||'ɑːksɑːn/ 1 written abbrev. for OXFORDSHIRE 2 used after the title of a degree to show that it is from Oxford University: David Jones, BA (Oxon) → compare CANTAB
'Oxo ,Tower, the a building on the south bank of the River Thames in London, built originally for the Oxo company. It has windows on its tower which make the shape of the letters in the word Oxo. The building now has many fashionable shops, galleries (GALLERY), and a restaurant.
ox·y·ac·et·y·lene /ˌɒksiə'setʃliˌn||ˌɑːk-, -lən, -liːn/ n [U] tech a mixture of oxygen and another gas (ACETYLENE) that produces a hot white flame: an oxyacetylene torch
ox·y·gen /'ɒksɪdʒən||'ɑːk-/ n [U] a gas present in the air that is a simple substance (ELEMENT), is without colour, taste, or smell, and is necessary for all forms of life on Earth
ox·y·gen·ate /'ɒksɪdʒəneɪt||'ɑːk-/ v [T] tech to add oxygen to (especially the blood): The heart pumps oxygenated blood through the arteries.
'oxygen ,mask n an apparatus placed over the nose and mouth to supply oxygen
'oxygen ,tent n a tent-like apparatus inside which oxygen can be supplied to people who are ill
ox·y·mo·ron /ˌɒksi'mɔːrɒn||ˌɑːksi'mɔːrɑn/ n tech a combination of words which seem to CONTRADICT (=disagree with) each other, such as 'deafening silence'
o·yez /əʊ'jez||'oʊjez/ interj (a word used by a law official or, especially in former times, by TOWN CRIERS giving news in the streets, to get people's attention)
Oyl, Olive /ɔɪl/ a character in the US CARTOON STRIP and film about POPEYE. Olive Oyl is a tall very thin woman who is Popeye's GIRLFRIEND.
oy·ster /'ɔɪstə/ n 1 a flat shellfish, eaten cooked or raw, which can produce a jewel called a PEARL. Some people think that eating oysters makes one better at sex. 2 the world is your oyster saying you can go anywhere or do anything that you like: I've got my degree now, so the world's my oyster!
'oyster bed n an area at the bottom of the sea where oysters are bred
oy·ster·catch·er /'ɔɪstəˌkætʃə||-stər-/ n a black and white seabird that eats shellfish
oz written abbrev. for OUNCE or OUNCES
Oz /ɒz||ɑːz/ n 1 BrE, AustrE an informal name for Australia 2 a magical land in the book and film The Wizard of Oz
O·zarks, the /'əʊzɑːks||-ɑːrks/ an area of high land covered by forests in the US states of Missouri and Arkansas
O·za·wa, Sei·ji /ˌəʊ'zɑːwə, ˌseɪdʒi/ (1935–) a US CONDUCTOR (=the person who directs an orchestra) who was born in Japan and has conducted the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Vienna State Opera
o·zone /'əʊzəʊn/ n [U] 1 tech a poisonous blue gas; type of oxygen 2 infml air that is pleasant to breathe, especially near the sea: a breath of ozone
'ozone-friendly adj not containing chemicals which are harmful to the ozone layer: an ozone-friendly aerosol/propellant
'ozone ,layer [the] a layer in the Earth's ATMOSPHERE in which ozone is formed, preventing harmful RADIATION from the sun reaching the Earth. Recently it has been found that there are holes in the ozone layer, and scientists believe that the ozone layer is being damaged by the use of certain chemicals.
Oz·zie and Har·ri·et /ˌɒzi ænd 'hæriət||ˌɑːz-/ a pair of US actors, Ozzie Nelson (1906-75) and his wife Harriet Nelson (1914-1994) who appeared in a humorous US television programme called The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-65), which dealt with the life of their family. Many people in the US considered that they had the perfect family.